Ganon's Return
by The Gemini Sage
Summary: Sequel to Reign of Ganon. Loose MM adapt. Ch35 up. Link, Mikau, Tatl and Kylia infiltrate the Gerudo stronghold. Hopefully, Link and Mikau can stop fighting long enough to rescue the eggs. Please review!
1. Prologue

Author's Notes: Hehe, gotcha. It's just the prologue. Enjoy it anyway....

The Legend of Zelda: Ganon's Return

By The Gemini Sage

Prologue

Long ago, in the land of Hyrule....

A baby boy, only four months old, was the victim of a terrible tragedy; war. His parents, who loved him more than life itself, gave up their lives so that he could live. His mother carried the child to the Great Deku Tree of the Kokiri Forest, so that he could live and one day fulfill his destiny.

Until the child was ten years old, he acted as normal as anyone would. He had his own troubles, which were a bit greater than most, and his own triumphs. Then, one day, he received a message telling him that the Deku Tree wanted to see him. When the boy answered the summons, he was asked to remove a curse from the old tree. He succeeded, with flying colors, but the tree passed away shortly afterward. Unknowing of his true destiny, the boy left his forest and went to see the princes of his home.

He learned that he needed to collect three jewels, one of which he already had. He did so, but before he could bring them back to the princess, she had been attacked and forced to flee for her life.

He did the task of putting the jewels where they belonged by himself, but made a fatal mistake, one that cost him his life. The boy closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he learned that he was an adult, who had slept through seven years of his life. He learned of his true fate, to free the sages and seal away the King of Evil in the Sacred Realm of Hyrule.

This ordinary boy completed the task. It was a long, difficult effort, but after it had been completed, the world he loved was returned to its old beauty, and the Evil King was sealed away for all of time in the Sacred Realm....

Or so they thought....

Thus begins the tale of Ganon's Return....

AN: I'm so excited. Can't wait to write the first chapter. You don't hafta revew, since this is only a prologue, but I sure as heck wouldn't mind. Now, I must go write! Byes!


	2. Chapter One: Happy Birthday, Link

**Author's Notes:** First chapter...yayness...I hope you all like this. It's Link's birthday party, partly cause I had always wanted him to have a party, and partly cause GerudoPrincess asked me to. The plot hasn't started, but meh. I wrote this to the Besaid Islands theme from FFX. I'm weird. Oo' Anyway, enjoy the chapter, lots and lots.

Chapter One: Happy Birthday, Link

Lightning flashed dangerously. A pair of glowing eyes followed him through the darkness....

Link ran and ran, but no matter how he tried, he could not escape the horrible eyes, that ones that glowed an evil shade of yellow. He tried to get away, but the pig-like beast only came closer—then it grabbed Link, threw him down in the ground—the rain poured down on his face, running into his mouth and nose, choking him—and those glowing eyes got nearer and nearer....

Link sat up in his bed with a start. Sunlight was filtering through his curtained window, and a gentle breeze ruffled the curtains, lifting them up and passing over everything in the room.

Link looked around his room, running his hands distractedly through his sandy hair, with a touch of red in it that he had inherited from his father. His eyes were also like his father's—electric blue. The only person alive who had eyes to rival his was his cousin Malon, who lived at Lon Lon Ranch with her father and her "baby," which was actually a very cute cat named Angel. Link's features were rough, but handsome, which was why, to his complete shock and slight embarrassment, girls began flirting with him when he was in town. That, and the fact that he was somewhat famous.

Not even a few months ago, Link had defeated the most powerful being in Hyrule. Ganon, the King of Evil, had been a wicked sorcerer after the sacred relic—the Triforce. Link had defeated him, but then he had transformed into the pig-like beast that haunted his nightmares. After a long, grueling, battle, he had finally overpowered the beast, with the help of all of Hyrule's people, and had locked Ganon away in the Sacred Realm for all eternity. It had made everyone in Hyrule extremely happy; the celebrating had only stopped about a month ago, and if someone had a party for no real reason, they still claimed it was to celebrate being free.

For some reason, this combined with his good looks made him very attractive to girls in the Market. He couldn't figure it out for the life of him, and he didn't want to; he only had eyes for Zelda.

Zelda was the Princess of Hyrule, though she hated the title. She had laughing blue eyes and long, swishy blonde hair. She lived in the castle, and she and Link visited each other quite often. So far, he had kissed her twice; once on the cheek and one quick peck on the lips. She had kissed him three times, though it was always on the cheek. They had met each other before Ganon took over Hyrule, but became tolerant—then fond—of each other just before defeating him for good. Zelda had been there during the last battle, but as she had been concentrating her power at the time, he didn't think she had had a good of a look at those glowing eyes as he had....

Link let his breath out in a slow hiss and fell backwards onto the bed. He realized he was sweating; he got up and changed into his normal attire; a green cap and tunic, along with worn but still sturdy boots.

His room was on the second story of a building called the Inn, because no one had the creativity to think of a better name for it—one good enough for Johan, anyway.

Johan was the keeper of the Inn. He had once been a Knight of Hyrule but had quit the job an become a guard when his best friends—Link's parents—had been killed in a war. He had brown hair, that was graying, and greenish-gray eyes. Since the reign of Ganon had began and ended, he had quit his job as a guard, too, and just supported himself by running a now public Inn.

For the Inn had not always been a place one could walk into. It used to be hidden underground, and no one ever left the place, but since the seven years of Ganon's takeover, Johan had become braver, and he had fixed up and expanded the ground floor of the Inn, and added a second story, getting Link and Kylia to help him.

Kylia was a Gerudo woman, of about twenty-four years old. She had long red hair, which was pulled back and braided, and wore purple clothing, standard for Gerudo. She had once been their leader, but she had given the job to her friend Ani after Hyrule's restoration, wanting to spend time at the Inn with her "family."

Link, Johan, Navi, and Kylia were the only people that actually lived at the Inn, though friends came over and stayed over so much one couldn't be sure. Since none of them had any immediate family, they considered themselves and everyone wh came over their family. It worked out well; Navi was Link's guardian, always fussing over his language and worrying over him when he was out at night; Kylia was so close she was like and older sister; and Johan was like a second father.

Link had never known his real father; both of his parents had been murdered by Ganondorf when he was four months old. He ached for a connection with them, and had somehow gotten to know them, through the eyes of Johan, who never said no if Link wanted to anything about his mother or father.

"Li-ink!" called a female voice from the bottom of the stairs. Link recognized it as Zelda's. "Are you _still_ asleep?"

"Yes," he called. "I'm lying in my bed, fully asleep, waiting for you to sneak up and do something mean." Knowing this would make her mad, he slid off the bed and crept to the door. Sure enough, it banged open two seconds later, and in came Zelda. She looked at the empty room before her.

"Link?"

"BOO!" he yelled, grabbing her by the shoulders and then covering her eyes with his hands. "Guess who?"

"The cat, now lemme go."

Zelda stepped on his toes, which didn't hurt a lot because he had boots on, but he pretended to moan in agony.

"Zel," he said, "I got enough damage from the planks. Step on something else, wouldja?"

Zelda laughed. "You want to, um, go somewhere?"

Link frowned and let her go. "Like where?"

"Just out of here—because it's such a nice day," she finished lamely. The truth was, it was his birthday today, and it was her job to get him out of the house—well, the Inn, so that everyone could set the party up. Even the guests were helping, because, well, it was Link.

"Nice day," Link smirked. "Well, yeah, it is, so I guess that's believable enough...nice cover story."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Zelda lied, grabbing his arm and pulling him down the stairs.

The top story of the Inn had Link and Kylia's room in it, along with several guest rooms. It was only one hallway, which joined with the stairs. The room at the end of the hall was slightly larger than the others, and used as entertainment purposes. At the bottom of the stairs, there was a large room, which had several tables and chairs, and another staircase on the other side, which led to another set of rooms. There was one door in the "living room" which led to the outside, and there was one behind the check-in desk, which led to Johan's room. A bookcase on the wall served as the door to the basement, which held the kitchen, among other things. It was where Link used to live, but he liked being on the second story a lot better.

Everyone was eating breakfast in the living room, and, to be uncooperative, Link plopped down at a table. Zelda rolled her eyes and sat down. "You're gonna stay here and eat when Malon's having better breakfast at the ranch?"

The thought of Malon's cooking definitely interested Link, and so did seeing his cousin.

"All right," he grumbled, "but I gotta go find Johan and Navi first."

Link opened the bookcase and walked down the stairs. The smelled of eggs made his stomach rumble, and he followed it to the tiny kitchen, where he found Johan cooking.

Johan shot a glare at Zelda, as if to say, "Why isn't he gone yet?"

Zelda glared right back at him. Link laughed.

"You're not gonna get her with the Look. I know, I've tried. Listen, I was wondering...why does everyone want me outta the house so bad?"

Link flashed his famous grin at Johan, who began occupying himself with the eggs.

Link tried again. "Where's Navi?"

"She's gone out," Johan said evasively. "Malon came before you woke up and told me to tell you that she's making your breakfast."

Link stuck his tongue out rather childishly. His blend of maturity and playfulness was a rare thing; it was a side effect of his years in the Sacred Realm. It was hard to actually say what age he was in mentality, because Zelda guessed that no matter how old he got, he would still always act like a really big kid—it was probably his way of getting back his childhood, and the ten years he spent without friends when he was living in Kokiri Forest.

"Fine, don't feed me. Malon's cooking is better anyway."

Link darted up the stairs, followed by Johan's shout of, "Be back after lunch, not any later! Or sooner, either," he added under his breath.

Zelda shrugged helplessly at Johan; Link loved messing with people, but he would cooperate in the end. She raced up the stairs after him, and Johan could hear Link running around on the ground floor. Eventually the noise died down, and breakfast became a peaceful event, which was very rare; everybody loved Link, but he was extremely noisy.

When Link got outside, he called Epona, his horse, with his ocarina. He had two ocarinas; one was a tiny wooden one that Saria had made for him when he was younger, dubbed the Fairy Ocarina, and the other was the Ocarina of Time.

This ocarina was a special relic, a heirloom of the Royal Family. It was with this ocarina that Link made the fatal mistake of opening the door of time, but he had stopped Zelda from using it to send him back in time to a realm with no Ganon, so its powers had not been abused again. He still liked the ocarina, though, because it fit his adult hands. He had kept it even after Ganon had been sealed away, not only because Zelda had let him, but because he was half afraid of what someone could do with it—such as send him back in time, or open the door to the Sacred Realm. It had a clear tone, which could be loud or soft, and it was ideal for summoning Epona.

Epona was a special horse, not only because she responded to a certain song, and that song only, but because she had helped Link win Lon Lon Ranch back from a stable hand with bad intentions. It had happened just after Link woke up from the Sacred Realm, and Malon was still grateful—for the evil Ingo had threatened to hurt the horses if she left, but he had hurt her during his stay. Malon still had a small scar on her shoulder, where, in a drunken fit of rage, Ingo had thrown a glass object at her. Luckily, he had only stayed six months, but it was still painful for Malon to remember.

Link and Zelda rode Epona to Lon Lon Ranch, since Zelda had walked to the Inn and didn't have a horse, and they were there in about ten minutes. The first one to greet them was the cat, which rubbed around their ankles as they tried to walk.

"C'mon, furball, move," Link said. The cat kept rubbing his legs, and finally he had to pick it up and carry it so that he and Zelda could get into the house without stepping on it. When they walked in the door, Malon greeted Link with, "How do you like your eggs?"

Malon had a situation similar to Link's; people liked to flirt with her. It wasn't hard to see why; she had soft red hair that hung to her waist, and bright blue eyes that rivaled her cousin's. Her attire was simple, usually just a cotton dress along with a scarf around her neck, that she sometimes put on her head when working.

"You're too eager," Link said. "You're supposed to chat casually and then ask me how I like my eggs, so I don't suspect anything."

Link, as usual, was goofing off, but Malon, as was also usual, didn't think it was very funny, and she threw an oven mitt at him, which he ducked.

"Watch it, or next time it'll be the eggs," she warned.

"Okay, you win. Scrambled?"

Malon laughed in spite of herself.

"Sit!" she said, poking him in the chest. Link sat.

Zelda giggled. She and Malon were best friends, and had been ever since "Sheik," Zelda's male alter-ego during the years that Ganon was searching for her to murder her, had showed up at the ranch almost six years ago, now. Zelda used to be tense all the time, as Sheik, but she had unwound herself since Ganon's defeat. She was a much more relaxed person, and Link's antics never failed to at least get a smile from her, which was part of the reason Link acted the way he did; to show off, and to see her smile.

Link made several more comments while Malon cooked, mostly centering around the "furball." In truth, he liked the cat, but it was almost too cute, and the way Malon went nuts over it took all the fun out of liking it, and made it all the more fun to tease Malon. After asking why a cat named Angel came from hell, Malon threatened to lock him in the barn.

"Yes, Link, with the cows. Now eat." Malon put the plate in front of him and started making food for herself.

"I should probably going," said Zelda.

Since Link was eating, he couldn't very well ask to go with her. He glared at Malon. "No wonder you were so eager to make me breakfast."

Zelda whispered something in Malon's ear and they both surrendered to a giggle fit. Link scowled. He hated it when they did that; it almost always meant bad news for him.

"You woke me up at dawn and then leave! Where have you got to go?"

"Talk to Daddy," she said evasively. She edged out the door, and to Link's protests, rode Epona back to Hyrule Castle. Link scowled again; he was now without a ride.

He and Malon bickered while they ate breakfast, then Link had the predictable idea of going to visit Saria. Not only did he know she was also up to something, but he hadn't seen her yet today, and they visited each other every day, because they were best friends. Saria was a Kokiri girl, and the Forest Sage, but she could leave the forest whenever she pleased—all the children could, but she was the only one that dared.

But Malon said Saria was busy, and Link knew he was stuck. He borrowed a horse from the stables and lost three successive races to Malon around the corral, but in the middle of the fourth race, Talon came home for lunch.

Talon was Malon's father. He was a burly, chubby man, but he was a kind hearted soul. He was slightly lazy—well, more than slightly, but he didn't mind going to Kakariko every morning to sell fresh milk, which was where he had been today. But what nobody knew was that he had purchased a few things himself while in Kakariko.

He walked in the gates of the ranch and saw that Link was losing spectacularly to Malon, and decided on mercy.

"Hey, guys!" he shouted. "Brought you something!"

Malon stopped her horse and dismounted. Link's horse didn't like him very much and it took him another lap to get it to slow down. When they had put away the horses, they walked inside so that the y could begin to prepare lunch. Link had tried to assist with this task once, and had never tried again, because afterwards he had had to help clean up the mess, and not even the cows would eat the black pile of ash that came out of the stove.

"What'd you bring?" Link said, trying to peer into the contents of the bag.

"You don't get to see yours," Talon said. Then he pulled a dress that matched Malon's eye color out of the bag. He also pulled out a hairclip and a pair of flats.

Malon squealed in delight. "Dad!"

"Is that the one you've been looking at for the past month?" Talon asked.

Malon nodded happily. "Can I go try it on?"

"Now?"

"Yeah! Please? I gotta wear it, um, soon, anyway."

Talon laughed. "All right, go on."

Malon hugged her father and kissed him on the cheek, then ran upstairs.

"You know, I'm not sure I like that dress. Just a bit too revealing," Talon said. "But she's growing up. I hate that."

Link laughed. "Don't worry, if she does anything stupid I'll lock her in the barn. Yes, Malon, with the cows!"

Malon only heard the last sentence from upstairs, but she assumed it was something stupid. She took her time dressing herself up, so long, in fact, that Talon just made sandwiches for lunch, and they ate while waiting on her to come back down.

When Malon finally finished getting dressed, she walked downstairs to eat her lunch and get the opinions of her family.

"Whatcha think?" she asked happily.

Malon's hair had been tied up in an elegant knot, held in place by the silver hairclip. On her feet were silvery flats, and on her finger was a silver ring, to match. She had attached a few silky blue ribbons to the hairclip, and they fell elegantly down to her back. Her dress, also silk, was the same color as her eyes, and it hugged her a little tightly around the hips, but came all the way down to her ankles, just high enough to reveal her shoes. It was long sleeved, but it only had one sleeve; on the arm without the sleeve was a long, blue glove, which was a popular trend in Hyrule at the moment. Link could see why Talon thought it was revealing. He didn't; but Talon was a father and his only daughter wearing something like that would make him worry.

"You look great," Link said, "But what's the occasion?" He flashed her a smirk.

"Um, nothing." Malon made herself a sandwich, bolted it down, and distracted Link while Talon changed into some fresh clothes. He never got dressed up, but he wore the ones without holes or stains. They walked back to the Market, chatting happily all the way.

It was about two in the afternoon when they got back to the Inn. Link walked in the door first, then nearly had a heart attack as people jumped out and yelled, "Surprise!"

He pretended to faint, then got up and grinned. "Wow, you guys, you didn't hafta. And trust me, I had _no_ idea."

Everyone was there, and they were dressed nicely. Impa, Zelda's guardian, was wearing a more traditional Shekiah suit; it was solid black. Kylia was also there, and Link was shocked to see her wearing a purple skirt with her top instead of pants. Zelda was wearing her princess attire, a solid pink dress with white gloves that went up to her elbows. Link noticed she wasn't wearing a crown. Saria was there, with her fairy Ellen, and she was wearing a green dress instead of the usual Kokiri clothing, and wearing clip on earrings, a first for her. Rauru, the Sage of Light, and a distant relative of the King, was wearing his usual attire of orange robes; they were fancy enough.

Darunia and his son had also come over. They were Gorons, and Darunia was the Sage of Fire. He wore his medallion around his neck at all times, like all sages did. His son, whom he had named after Link himself, was standing next to him, looking gleeful. Link and Darunia had dubbed Darunia's son "Little Link," so that people wouldn't get them confused. Little Link saw Link as a big brother, and imitated everything he did. Link looked around happily, and he realized there were only two people missing.

"Where is Johan? And Navi?" he asked, hoping that Ruto wasn't there because she hadn't been invited.

Ruto was a Zora, moreover, the Water Sage. She had developed a crush on Link in his early childhood, and somehow convinced herself that she was going to marry him. Link got embarrassed when the subject was brought up, mostly because it made Zelda mad, but also because the idea of getting married to anyone seemed utterly horrifying.

"They're getting your cake ready," Little Link said happily.

"Hey, cakes have sugar, can't go wrong there," Link said. "Why don't I just...."

His suggestion was cut off by loud boos from the crowd.

"You're staying here, buster," Zelda said.

Link shot her a dirty look. "Aw, Zel, c'mon, just me—"

Zelda shook her head, amused at the fact that he called her "Zel." He was the only person, besides Impa, who made up nicknames for her, and she repulsed most of them, but Zel was one she could live with.

"You're staying right there till they get back," Zelda said.

"Whatever...Zellie."

"Don't call me that!"

"Zellie," Link said, sticking his tongue out at her. "Zellie, Zellie, Zellie. Smelly Zellie."

Zelda threw a fork at him.

"Zilly!" Link said on sudden inspiration. "Frilly, silly, Zilly."

Saria giggled. "Leave her alone, Link. You're gonna love your presents," she added, trying to change the subject.

This was met with a loud "Shh!" from several people, but Saria continued talking.

"I get to give you mine first, I bet you'll like it."

Johan came out of the bookshelf then, carrying a large cake. It was, of course, trimmed with green icing, and it said "Happy Birthday" on it. It had eighteen lopsided candles, which were all lit. Everyone sang the birthday song, and then Link blew out his candles, making a wish that he would like all of his presents, since he couldn't think of anything else on the spur of the moment.

Then came the presents. Saria went first, and she had given Link an adult sized version of his old ocarina. Link hugged her and thanked her. Darunia and Little Link gave him a Goron Tunic, made from heat resistant cloth, so he would no longer have to wear a cloak if he ever came to visit them in Death Mountain. Malon and Talon gave Link some art supplies, which he planed to enjoy greatly; Link was a good artist, and sometimes liked to add color to his sketches. Rauru had given Link a book; but it was a songbook, full of different and popular songs for the ocarina. Link, who was good with the ocarina, felt like he needed to learn a few good songs, so it really wasn't such a bad gift.

Some of the presents were a little bizarre. Kylia and Johan had managed to get Link a mirror that had been jinxed so that it screamed when one looked into it, and it nearly gave Link a heart attack. Impa had given Link a pair of socks that glowed in the dark, which he thought was really funny, especially when he tried to put Ellen in one. Navi topped all of them by giving Link a box of chocolate animals; one could eat the tiny mice, snakes, and frogs at their pleasure, but Link got a huge jolt of surprise when they began wriggling in his stomach afterwards.

Zelda went last. Everyone knew what her gift was.

"She's gonna beat us all," Malon muttered. "Even Navi."

"What is it?" Link asked. He was wary by now, and suggested darkly, "It's probably a cow. Or something else that bites."

"It's not going to bite you," said Zelda, rolling her eyes. "It's an invitation. Everyone in Hyrule got one, but you're the guest of honor. You're going to a Royal Ball tomorrow, if I have to drag you there." Zelda handed Link a small card, with the date and time written on it.

Link raised his eyebrows and stared down at the card. "Um, thanks?"

Zelda laughed. "The real surprise is at the party," she said. "You _deserve_ it, trust me."

Link pretended to shake in fear. "It does bite, doesn't it?" he asked in mock horror.

But his interest had been captured. All day, he kept asking what the party was for, but no one gave him a straight answer.

"Zelda," Link said at dinner, "I don't have anything to wear except green."

"So wear it," said Navi. "You don't look right in anything else."

"I can't dance."

"I'll teach you," Zelda said, waving an impatient hand through the air. "Hey, where are you going?"

"I got a new deck of cards the other day," Link said, climbing up the stairs. "Johan's gonna teach me how to play something other than 'Go Fish.'"

Saria stifled a laugh. She and the other sages had played Go Fish during their wait in the Sacred Realm. Ruto hadn't been very pleased with it, to say the least.

Link came down a few minutes later with cards in hand. He and Johan took a table, and Johan began explaining the rules of a game called "Majalan."

"What you do," he said, "Is take one card from the deck every turn. We both lay a card down, and if it's the same symbol—like hearts, we add the cards to the deck and go again. If it's the same color, like red, we trade cards and shuffle the deck. If it's the same number, we each draw five cards. If it's a different symbol, the one with the higher number gets both cards, and the one with the lower number takes one card from the winner's hand, and one from the deck. When the cards from the deck are gone, we count up the points by numbers—the face cards are all worth twenty, and aces are worth thirty. The rules are a little different if you have more than two people, but I'll explain that later. We both take ten cards to start."

Link wound up beating Johan at the game, by almost fifty points. Zelda, who had played that game before and was watching Johan lose, said, "I thought you said you'd been playing this all your life."

"I have, and I haven't lost a game in years," Johan exclaimed, looking down at the cards. "Sam always lost to me at this game, I figured you would too."

Link grinned. "I paid thirty rupees for these cards, they're lucky."

"Sure they are," Navi commented.

Johan lost six more times to Link, and then he called it a night and gave up. He helped everyone clean up, and told everyone that they could stay for the night so they could avoid going in Hyrule Field in the dark. Eventually everyone drifted to bed except Link, Zelda, Malon, and Kylia.

"Eighteen," Link said. "Just two more years and I'm a legal adult!"

"Yeah, then you're going to have to be put under house-arrest," Kylia said darkly. "You'd go over to the ranch and have target practice on the cows to celebrate."

Malon snorted.

"I ought to!" Link said. "I swear, they're evil."

"Oh Link, they're perfectly harmless."

"Famous last words."

Eventually, Malon and Kylia went to bed, and Zelda reminded Link that she still had to teach him to waltz.

"Me?" Link said. "No way. That'll never happen, not in a million years."

"Relax, it's easy. Look, put your hands here, yes, Link, _here_, now stop blushing, it's only a dance," she giggled.

"I'm not blushing."

"Yes you are. Now you step like this. _One_ two three, _one_ two three," she instructed. Soon, Link was able to do a simple dance, in case the need arose. Zelda started go to go upstairs, but Link stopped her.

"Zel, you didn't teach me how to _properly_ ask a girl to dance," he said, grinning.

Zelda smiled. "True, I didn't." She walked back down the stairs.

"Okay," she said. "First thing you do is tap her on the shoulder."

Link poked Zelda's shoulder roughly. She poked him back, and they laughed.

"I'm serious, though, really," she said. "Act human." Zelda turned around and pretended not to see him.

Link rolled his eyes, but he politely tapped Zelda's shoulder anyway. She turned.

"Yes?"

"Aah...what do I do now?"

"You kiss the girl's hand and ask her if you may have this dance."

"What if she says no?" Link teased.

"How many girls are going to say no to you?"

"Twelve hundred. Seriously, how do I take it like a man?"

"Go cry in a corner."

"_Zelda...._"

"You thank her anyway and walk away. Now, you go ahead and try it." Zelda turned around again.

Link politely tapped her on the shoulder.

"Yes?" Zelda asked with a smile.

"May I have this dance?" Link asked. He took Zelda's hand and kissed it.

She smiled. "Certainly."

They put their hands in the appropriate places and began to dance. Link hummed a song in the songbook he had gotten softly under his breath. They danced until Zelda said she felt dizzy, and was going to bed.

"Okay," said Link. "See you tomorrow."

Summoning up his courage, he kissed her on the lips, grinned, and headed upstairs.

Zelda smiled after his disappearing figure, letting her fingers touch her lips gently. She took the other flight of stairs up to her room, grinning the whole way.   
  
**AN:** Hmm, as you can see I've heated things up a little between Link and Zel. I;m sorry for the people who don'tlike romance, this fic will have lots in it I had origianlly intended to include the party with this chap, but I couldn't wait. Silly me. Oh well. Please reveiw me, and tell me what you think.  
  
I've decided to start responding to reveiws. I see a lot of people who do that. When I was a n00b I responded to them by reveiwing myself. And I can't figure out how to get it down. -.- But I've learned not to reveiw myself now. Yay. n.n;   
  
**MiStA SiNiStA:** Yay, I'm glad you're going to enjoy it, and even gladder (is that a word?) that you like my writing.   
**Ri2:** Hehe, I was racking my brains for something different to do. Trust me, when you figure it out, you'll wonder why you didn't see it before. (At least, that's my goal.)  
**Light Sage:** Yayness, lol.  
**Renegade of the Dark:** Wow, thank you, I'm glad you like it. n.n  
**Blowfish the Monkey Tamer:** I'll try my best!  
**bluenintendo:** Cooler villain, hmm? We'll see. Glad it sounds cool. n.n   
**Greki:** Glad you liked it! Was this soon enough?  
**Link, SSB, and Yu-Gi-Oh Fan:** Thankies. n.n  
**Shadow Shard:** Suspense that soon? Wow, I'm shocked. And as for how Ganon works out in this story, that's my secret for now. o.-  
**Hikari no Purinsesu:** It wasn't a stupid question, and to answer it, yes there is.  
**White Phantom:** Was that soon enough for you? I hope it didn't take too terribly long.  
  
Methinks that's it. Please reveiw me. Next chap should be up soon. Byes!  
  
--The Gemini Sage


	3. Chapter Two: Surprises

**Author's Notes:** Sorry this took so long. I've been on vacation, haven't read my email or anything. Just got back a few hours ago, went to Atlanta. It was fun. Anyway, the plot moves in this chappy (yay) but we're not even close to Termina. Oh well. Enjoy regardless, and sorry again for the wait.

Chapter Two: Surprises

"Is he still asleep?" someone whispered.

"Yes."

Giggling.  
  
"Shh, you'll wake him up!"  
  
More giggling. Link stirred.  
  
"He moved. Shh, be quiet!"

"What are you guys do—"

"Shhh!"

Zelda, Malon, and Kylia had been outside Link's door, which was open a crack, watching him sleep. Navi had heard them giggling, and came to see what they were up to.

"What are you doing?" she asked again, softer this time.

"Listening to him sleeptalk. Does he do that a lot?"

"I dunno. I've only heard him at it once or twice, to be honest."

They listened to Link mutter about a number of various things for a minute, some of which included cows, then Malon got bored and decided she was going to go get breakfast. Kylia, Zelda, and Navi stayed by the door, listening to Link mumble. After a second, Zelda was almost sure he said her name. Her eyes went wide, and she hoped that Kylia hadn't noticed.

But Kylia poked her in the ribs and muttered, "You hear that? Somebody likes you an awful lot."

Zelda scowled. Navi flew downstairs to join Malon.

In a minute, Link got an odd look on his face and he rolled over. In another two seconds, he rolled over again. He began to sweat slightly.

"He must be having a nightmare," Zelda said, worried. "Should we wake him up?"

Kylia shook her head. "It'd only embarrass him."

They watched as Link's tossing and turning became more forceful, and as he entangled himself in the bedcovers. Zelda started to go wake him up, but Kylia grabbed her shoulder.

"Trust me, I've had terrible nightmares before, and I got embarrassed as hell when someone woke me up. He would be too."

Link tossed and turned a few minutes more, then woke up with a soft cry, sitting bolt upright in bed. He looked around, let his breath out slowly in relief, then fell backwards on the bed again. He swore colorfully under his breath at the ceiling, and in between the profanities, Zelda caught the term "Ganon." She caught quite a few adjectives that went along with it, too, but they were words not even she would repeat.

Zelda shrugged helplessly at Kylia and they crept downstairs for breakfast. Zelda picked at her food. She didn't know Link still had nightmares about Ganon. Of course, he had endured a lot more of it than she had, but still...it had been months, and Ganon was gone forever. Yet Link had dreamed about the ordeal, and seemed fairly grateful to wake up.

Zelda had had her own experiences with the Evil King, ones that gave her nightmares, every once on awhile. At the top of his black tower, when she had been his prisoner, he had tried to take her. He had pinned both her arms against the wall with one hand, and the other had held her face still while he kissed her roughly. She hadn't been able to break free....

She felt sick to her stomach at the memory of all that cold pressed against her, in her mouth. She remembered him throwing her to the floor after that—after Link came. She had hardly seen the fight. To her, it had been a whirl of color, then, a cloaked man dying, then the horrified look on Link's face when he killed Ganondorf. He had rushed to her after the fight, wrapped his arms around her, and tried to calm her down, but she hadn't stopped crying until they reached the bottom of the tower, which had began to collapse, by that time....

She hadn't wanted to be kissed since then. A peck on the lips or cheek, yes, but not a real kiss. Somehow, Link knew that, and he hadn't tried to kiss her in that way, and she was very grateful.

The cloaked man who had died was Johan. He had been watching them from afar, following them around, and he had been killed in the battle. Until just before the battle, no one had known his identity. The reason he lived was because after the fight with the Evil King, Zelda had offered to send him back in time. He had selflessly refused, although part of him had wanted to go. The Goddesses who made Hyrule had come down from the heavens, then, and allowed Link, Zelda, and Navi one wish each. Zelda had wished for her father to live; Link had wished for Johan to live; and Navi's legendary wish had restored Hyrule. The Goddesses had called them the saviors of Hyrule.

And Link was a hero to everyone. But no one knew he still had nightmares....

At that moment, Zelda stopped brooding, because Link came down the stairs. He was sleepy, as he usually was when waking up on his own, a rare event in itself, and he went straight for the bookcase, and came back a few minutes later with a cup of coffee. This was quite unusual for Link; normally, he hated coffee. He plopped down the chair next to Saria, who was looking at him as if concerned for his sanity, and took a large gulped. He made a face.

"I don't see how Johan can stand this stuff, it's awful. Helps you wake up, though." He took another gulp. Saria giggled.

"Why are you drinking it if it tastes so awful?"

"Because—yech!" Link reached the bottom of the cup, and pulled a face disgust. "It has aftertaste!"

"Then don't drink it," Kylia said, tossing him a pack of wriggling candy left over from his presents. "That'll get the taste out."

"And my breakfast, too," Link muttered, but he popped a few in his mouth anyway.

"So, this ball thing, when does it start?"

"At dark," Zelda replied from another table. "I got to help decorate. The castle looks all flashy," she said, laughing. "You'll love it."

The castle, as they found later that night, was more than "flashy." Colored fire danced around the base of the walls, making it look as if it was surrounded by magic. The stars burned brightly above, and it was a cloudless night. All the people, dressed up, going towards a lit up Hyrule Castle, which had classy music floating from it, gave an air of great excitement. Link couldn't believe that Zelda had put all of it together just for his birthday.

When he voiced this, Zelda just laughed.

"It's actually not too much trouble to get an invitation to everyone in Hyrule, the real hard part is decorating. And besides, you really deserve what I've got coming to you. You're either gonna love it or kill me."

Link began to feel the effects of the wriggling candy. What was Zelda going to give him, and in front of every person in Hyrule?

For it truly _was_ everyone; Saria had said she would coax the Kokiri out of the forest, and Zelda had even invited the Zoras. Darunia had told every one of the Gorons to come, and Kylia had told her friend Ani to _order_ the Gerudo women to the castle if she had to. Almost all the women Link saw—other than the Gerudo—had covered themselves in glitter, another popular trend at the moment. It added to the atmosphere and the beauty; they were covered with the sparkles of starlight, and it reflected onto the walls around them. The men weren't wearing tuxedos, but they had definitely went to lengths to find something decent.

Everyone waved to Link as they passed by. Johan, Zelda, Navi, Kylia, and himself were all walking together, at a slower pace than most, but a faster one than a few others. Hyrule Castle looked beautiful. The same colored torches that had been placed at its rim had also been placed along the path leading up to the great building. Anticipation buzzed in the air.

They met Talon and Malon along the way. They were both in the same outfits they had worn for the brief party the previous day. Malon also had glitter tossed over her, and Link teased her about it all the way to the castle.

"Well, it makes me look nice," she said huffily.

"I know, I know, but it's glitter. What are you, a fairy?"

Navi scowled. Then she grinned as a loud whistling noise was heard.

A huge firecracker burst in the sky, and its sparks rained down on the world. It was followed by several more, but they were smaller.

"I didn't tell Daddy to do that!" Zelda said, delighted. "That was sweet of him. But I bet they're saving the real show for after the surprise."

Link's stomach felt wriggly again and he resumed teasing Malon about the glitter. Zelda noticed how nervous he was, and she smiled to herself.

When they got to the drawbridge that led into the castle, someone offered to take their coats or hats (Link kept his firmly in place) and then they were led to the ballroom.

It was beautiful

A huge chandelier hung from the ceiling, and the floor was carpeted in deep blue. Glowing strings had been connected from the chandelier to all sides of the room. There was an indoor fountain, surrounded by the snack tables. A small stage had been set up in the back of the room, on which the band was playing. Link was willing to bet that Zelda would also use the stage to give him the surprise.

He felt out of place in the party, but he was determined to enjoy the last few hours he had before the surprise. To his dismay and delight, Zelda told him they were only waiting until everyone arrived. Then she went off to talk to her father about something, which Link knew by now was the surprise.

Meanwhile, the band began to play some music, a slow sort of waltz. Link smiled, remembering the night before. He looked through the crowd and saw Zelda talking eagerly to her father, eyes shining in anticipation. Johan, Navi, Kylia, Malon, and Talon had been talking to one another, but Kylia elbowed Johan in the ribs when she saw Link staring. They all grinned.

Link noticed the sudden quiet and looked back around at his companions to find them grinning at him.

"What?"

"You know what," Kylia teased.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Link said. Then his eyes traveled back to Zelda.

"I'll be back later," Link said, and he walked over to Zelda and poked her roughly on the shoulder.

Zelda rolled her eyes at her father. "That crude person behind me obviously didn't learn how to treat a woman," Zelda said to her father. "I'm going to wait until he does it right to turn around."

King Harkinian smiled at Link. Link had gotten to know the man after Ganon's defeat, and found him to be a nice guy who had made the mistake of not listening to his daughter before it was too late. He had, of course, redeemed himself, and he liked Link quite a bit, and was grateful to him for saving Hyrule.

Link poked Zelda again. Then he sighed and rolled his eyes. He tapped her shoulder softly.

Zelda grinned at her father and turned around, a serious look on her face. "Yes?"

Link took her hand and kissed it gently. "May I have this dance, Zel?" he asked, turning his blue eyes up to hers.

"Yes, you may."

Link and Zelda started dancing, and Link did pretty well, for his first time. Zelda had to count under her breath for the first minute or two, and then Link got the hang of it and she stopped. They danced slowly, since the song wasn't exactly fast. Link spotted Saria and the other Kokiri by the door, all dressed up and all looking extremely apprehensive. He waved, and all the kids giggled at the sight of him "dancing with a _girl_."

Malon was watching Link and Zelda when a boy about her age tapped her on the shoulder. He had soft auburn hair, and chocolate eyes. His skin was lightly tanned, and he had freckles sprinkled on his face.

"Um, hi," she said nervously.

"Hi," the boy said. "Would you like to dance?"

Malon shot a pleading look at her father, who gave the slightest of nods, and she replied, "Sure, I'd love to."

Kylia poked Johan in the ribs again and Malon turned red, but she and the boy began to dance.

"So, what's your name?" he asked.

"Malon. You?"

"I'm...I'm Ajem," he said, sounding somewhat guarded.

Link and Zelda passed Malon and her partner and Malon gave them an ecstatic grin when she passed by them.

"She certainly looks happy," Zelda commented. "That dress must've done the trick."

Link nodded vaguely. In truth, he was a bit over protective of Malon. He had only known they were cousins for a short time, and he didn't want to lose the only family he had. Zelda had noticed this before, and she was definitely picking up on it now.

"Leave her be, Link, she can take care of herself."

"I know, I know...but she is my cousin. I do have to look out for her."

"You're hopeless."

"Thank you."

Malon and Ajem talked for a while, and it turned out they had a lot in common. Ajem had lived on a farm when he was young; and he loved horses. When Malon mentioned her cat, he confessed that he was a huge cat lover. He also commented on how lucky Malon was to know Link, the famous Hero of Time. After awhile he asked if he could meet Malon's friends. She introduced him to Johan, since he was the first person she saw. Thankfully, her father was busy, so she skipped that introduction to save herself some embarrassment.

She found Kylia chatting with Ani. She walked up to them.

"Hi," Malon said. "I wanted to introduce you to someone. This is Ajem, and he wanted to meet my friends."

Ajem looked at Kylia strangely for a moment; but Kylia assumed it was because she was a Gerudo, and she was unabashed. "Hello," she said.

Ajem seemed to regain the power of speech.

"Hello," he said. He held out his hand.

Kylia shook it, and felt something shock her, from head to toe. She jerked away in surprise, then pretended to swat at something near her ear.

"Sorry," she said uneasily. "Damn mosquito or something."

"It's okay," Ajem said, watching her closely for a moment. They talked a little while more before a friend of Kylia's, Tara, dragged her away.

"Jai swears up and down she's going to kill you if you don't come on, and we never get to see enough of you," Tara said. "Hurry up."

Kylia waved as she was dragged back to a crowd of Gerudo women. Malon then grabbed Ajem's hand and walked towards Link and Zelda. Just then, the dance ended. Zelda gave a small shiver.

"What's the matter?" Link asked. "You're about to do something to me in front of all of Hyrule, shouldn't I be the nervous one?"

"I'm not nervous about anything, it's just a little chilly in here. Is it cold to you?"

Link frowned. "A little. I can't tell. What are you about to do, anyways?"

"You'll see."

The King approached the stage where the band was.

_I knew it!_ Link thought.

"I suppose you're all wondering why we're having such a big party today," the King said. "And why we've invited Link as our guest of honor."

Heads turned to look at Link, then back at the King.

"I'm doing this as a request from my daughter, Zelda. As you all know by now, Link, Zelda, and Navi have been named by the Goddesses themselves, 'The Saviors of Hyrule,' and they are indeed. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them."

People started cheering and clapping at this point.

"Yesterday was Link's birthday, and what's about to happen is a gift to him from me and my daughter. He deserves this more than any other man here."

"I'll be right back, okay?" Malon whispered to Ajem. "I know what's about to happen and I want to see the look on his face."

"All right," Ajem murmured. He didn't like Malon leaving him, but he could tell she wanted to enjoy the moment without feeling awkward around him. He knew, just from the way she acted, that she had never had a boyfriend before, and would be easier to take advantage of than he had expected....

"Link, would you please come up here?" the King said.

"Zelda, _what the hell is going on_?" Link hissed. Several people heard him, and they laughed softly.

"Go on," Zelda said, smiling.

Link made his way through the people and up to the stage, flashing his famous but now nervous grin.

"Link," the King said. "Please kneel."

It finally clicked with Link what was going on. He turned around to goggle at Zelda, and a chuckle ran through the crowd.

"Link," the King said.

Link turned. "Oops. Uh, sorry." He knelt before the King.

King Harkinian took out a sword, and touched Link lightly on each shoulder with it. Then he tapped it softly against Link's head.

"I dub thee Sir Link of the Forest, a Knight of Hyrule. Arise, be at ease," the King said.

"Uh, thanks," Link said, standing and grinning. It was no longer a nervous grin, but he unconsciously rubbed the back of his neck, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Thank _you_, Link," the King said. "For all that you've done."

The cheering almost shook the walls. Link then turned around to look at Zelda.

"Just wait until _your_ birthday and see what I do!" he yelled across the room.

Zelda stuck her tongue at him. Link thanked the King again, then went back to Zelda, as the music began again. Everyone was now with her, including Johan, Kylia, Malon, Talon, Darunia, Impa, Saria, Rauru, Navi, and, to Link's horror, Ruto, who was eyeing Zelda with great dislike.

Navi flew happily around Link's head.

"Well, did you like it?" she asked.

Link grinned at Zelda, uneasily avoiding Ruto's gaze.

"Thanks," he said. "Thanks a lot. I'm...a Knight...."

The truth had finally started to sink in. He was a Knight, just like his father had been. He was suddenly bursting with pride.

"I'm a Knight!" he laughed. "This is nuts! Aw, Zel, you're the best," he exclaimed, hugging her.

Ruto clucked her tongue impatiently.

"Uh, hi," Link said, turning around.

"Hi," she said. Then she glared at Zelda and opened her mouth as if to speak, but—

Malon decided to spare Link, and she said, "I want you guys to meet someone. He wanted to meet you, anyway, Link. He talked about you an awful lot. I'll be right back."

Saria hugged Link while Malon went to find Ajem.

Malon went and looked at the place where she had left him. He was gone. She looked around a little while more, and then headed back to the group, defeated.

"I guess he isn't here anymore," she said when Link asked. Link frowned. That was pretty cold of the guy.

The truth was, Ajem had seen the Shekiah woman, and he had left. He couldn't tell the woman his name, and Malon would be foolish enough to do so. Pity that he hadn't been able to get her alone.

He had gone outside the castle, to take a breather. He strode back to the empty Market, enjoying the feeling of being by himself at last. He hated crowds; it was so difficult to control himself, and it would have been difficult to get Malon away long enough to take her. He strode to the drawbridge, inhaling the scent of the air. Just the air was so fresh and new to him. Eighteen years ago, getting into Hyrule Castle would have been impossible, but now the doors were wide open. It foolish of them, really. He could have killed them all in one blow.

"Humans are dangerous," he said. "I can't stay this way; I must leave this mortal. I have to go back to it...but if I want anything done, I'll have to make some friends...."

Without another thought, Ajem began walking towards Kokiri Forest.

Malon talked ad chatted as usual on the way back to the Inn, but she was feeling a little upset that her new friend had deserted her. He seemed so nice, if a bit shy and guarded. She sighed, listening to Link and Zelda bicker. Impa, who was nearby, heard her.

"What's the matter?" she asked kindly. She had gotten to know Malon a bit, since she was Zelda's best friend, and Malon didn't usually things keep her down, especially boys. Boys flirted with her often, and sometimes she flirted back. But she had never had an actual date, so....

"I'm just a little down that Ajem ditched me at the castle, but I'll be all right," she said with a small smile.

Impa frowned. "Excuse me?"

"You know, the guy who wanted to meet Link and Zelda, Ajem."

Impa kept herself in check at hearing the name of the boy. But it was odd; that was a Shekiah word, not a name. As for what it meant...well, she was sure no one normal would have that name. She only knew of one person who fit the description. But that was utterly impossible.

"Ah, I remember," Impa said to Malon. "Listen, honey, don't you worry about him. He probably wasn't as nice as he seemed."

Malon smiled. "Yeah, if he ditched a girl halfway through a party."

_You don't know the half of it,_ Impa thought.

She couldn't ignore warning signs, so she grabbed Kylia's arm and hissed in her ear that they needed to talk when they got back. She had to share her thoughts with someone who would take her seriously, but not overreact or become too worried. Kylia was the best one to talk to. She might get upset, but she knew how to take bad news. She was tough, and she was also wiser than most on the subject at hand.

Both Kylia and Impa were a bit quiet on the walk back to the Inn. Impa and Zelda were only along so they could visit awhile; then they were going back to the castle. The trip wasn't a long one, and in almost no time, Impa was whispering, "Where can we go, so we're not overheard?"

Kylia put a finger to her lips, and, using her excellent Gerudo stealth, slipped away towards the bookcase. She opened it silently, while everyone else talked loudly to Link, making jokes about the look on his face and wondering what he would do to Zelda when her birthday came, eight months later. Kylia slipped down the stairs and Impa followed.

Kylia lead the way to her old room. She left the door open, so they would spot anyone coming down the stairs.

"What is it?" she asked, when they were both settled.

Impa looked at the ceiling, silently asking the Goddesses to help her through this.

"You know Malon's friend? Ajem?"

Kylia nodded slowly, never taking her eyes off of Impa. "Yes, I...I met him. Something funny happened, when I shook his hand. It...I can't describe it, I can't put it into words."

Impa took a deep breath. "Ajem is not a name; it's a Shekiah word. I'm the only one left here who is fluent in Shekiah; Zelda knows a little, but not much, not yet. Anyway, translated, Ajem means something that disturbs me greatly, because of his eagerness to meet Link and Zelda."

"Why? What does it mean?"

"Evil."

Kylia went pale. "You think...you think...?"

Impa nodded.

"But that isn't possible, is it?"

"I didn't think so, not until now. I'm guessing he saw me and ran for it, knowing I was a Shekiah. Do you think I'm overreacting?"

"No. No, better safe than sorry, in this situation. What are we going to do?"

"I don't know yet. But don't mention it to the others, especially Link or Zelda."

"I wo—did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" asked Impa. In a flash, she was out of the chair she'd been sitting in and at the door. Standing there with a guilty look on her face was Saria.

"How much did you hear?" Impa asked tightly.

"All of it," Saria said quietly. "But how can it be true? How can he be _back_?"  
  
**AN:** Whew. Slight cliffie, huh? Sorry bout that. Anyway, we'll get to the responses now. Thank all you guys for the reveiw, two chapters and twenty-seven reveiws makes Liz want to cry with joy.   
  
**GerudoPrincess:** Thank you! I want to go pro actualy, one day, but I'm not sure how good I'd be with original stuff. I'm glad you like the story. Combining all the elements is something I strive for ad I'm glad you like it, cause life is all different elements, and I want my fic to seem realistic. (Well, it's coming from a world with magic and elfs and such, but you know what I mean.)  
**Link, SSB, and Yu-Gi-Oh Fan:** Yay, thank you!  
**Hikari no Purinsesu:** I have no idea where I got the cow idea from, honestly. It's just so easy to picture big bad Link, who's been living in the forest ten years, to be afraid of cows. Y'know?  
**ShadowShard:** I guess not knowing how Ganon is back would make for suspense. And dude, if you had just killed Ganon, you'd be feelin kinda carefree too. By the way, since you liked the presents, did the wriggling candy remind you too much of the chocolate frogs? nn; Cause that's what they're based off of. And THANK YOU for thinking romance is appropiate! Zelda got her ass saved by Link, how could she not fall in love with him? He's gorgeous! XD  
**Link LUV-er-15:** Wow, the best Zelda story? nn; Thank you! That made my day, reading that. And don't worry, I won't quit the fic. I'm not into quitting fics, I can only write one at a time. You're not serious when you say thousands, are you? Oo'  
**White Phantom:** Dude, I know Link and Zel are cool. Amd if you're a Zelda hater and I changed your mind, that rocks!  
**anyone:** Thanks!  
**Greki:** Link's birthday is my day and my brother's month. I'd forgotten it was yours until after I posted it. Lol, and the cow thing is just...I must have been tired or something.  
**Renegade of the Dark:** Wow, this was short by my standards. I hope you stick around; I'm very long winded. nn;  
**Blowfish the Monkey Tamer:** Zelink is the only good one. Yay Zelink fans!  
**blood red stain:** Glad you like the humor. And like I said, this is short. Oo' I'm too long-winded for my own good.  
**unnamed namer:** Thankies, I'm glad you like it! n.n  
**MiStA SiNiStA:** Yay romance? Wow, you're cool! Lotsa ppl think it's crap. Thanks for reveiwing!  
**LinkDragon:** Um, I'm not one forviolence, but ok....  
**Pretty Kitty Fairy:** To answer your questions, he doesn't turn into a child, and sadly, Termina might not get here for awhile, sorry.  
**Akiko the fox demon:** I'll read your story as soon as I can! I'm glad you like my story. n.n

Thank you everyone for reveiwing! I love you guyses. n.n ::hugs:: Next chappie should be up soon! n.n Sorry for the slight cliffie.Please reveiw! Thanx'n byes!


	4. Chapter Three: Finding Ajem

**Author's Notes:** Whew, a chapter in one day. That was quite unexpected. Well, I'm not toTermina yet. But I'm close. Maybe next chap. But don't hold your breath. Sorry for t3h shortness of this chappie. Next one will be longer I hope. Enjoy regardless!

Chapter Three: Finding Ajem

"Saria, you mustn't tell a soul about this, okay?" Impa said. "Especially not Link. I know you two hate keeping things from each other, but we can't tell anyone, or there'd be a panic."

Saria nodded. "But I don't understand how he could have gotten out. No one could get in or out, not even if the Goddesses willed it."

"I don't know how he could have gotten out either, but we have to find this Ajem guy."

"I could look all over the forest for you. No one knows it better than Link and I."

"All right," Impa said. "Remember, don't tell anyone."

"I should tell Link," Sara said softly, walking into the room and plopping down on the bed. "He told me once he still has nightmares about it...but he ought to know."

"I know, I feel the same way about telling Zelda," Impa said. "But they're so happy right now, both of them. They don't have a care in the world. That's how it should have been years ago. I...I just can't make myself take that away from them. I mean, I've known Zelda since she was born, and I've never seen her this happy, not since she was about nine years old. Before...."

"Well, we have to tell one of them," Kylia reasoned. "Because they have a right to know. I don't like keeping secrets. But...."

"If we have to tell someone, let it be Link," Impa said. "He's a lot tougher than Zelda is. She...well, we all saw what happened in the tower."

Kylia and Saria nodded. The sages were able to view Hyrule from the Sacred Realm, when they were all united. Impa had been truly afraid at the time. She had been helpless to help Zelda, trapped where she was. Kylia had felt the same way when she saw Johan die.

"It was supposed to be behind us!" Kylia burst out angrily. "Hyrule is healing! Link and Zelda are healing! They don't need this now, not this soon! They haven't even had a chance to forget! None of us have...."

Impa and Saria didn't know Kylia really well, but they were all sages, and they knew her well enough to see that she had been holding this back as long as she could. The prospect of what was happening was upsetting to them all, but even more so to Kylia; she was Ganondorf's daughter by blood. She claimed to be her mother's daughter, and she truly hated Ganondorf, but it didn't change the fact that she still had powers that were stronger than his, should she choose to develop them. It didn't change the fact that when she was angry enough her eyes turned the same shade of red as his. Didn't change the fact that she still sometimes felt responsible for the things he had done.

"I thought it was over," she said, her voice full of anger and bitterness. "I thought it was through."

Kylia wiped away a single tear that had fallen down her face.

"If he is out again, this time, I'm not just going to sit back while Link and Zelda do the work. I'll give it everything I got to get rid of him forever, no matter what it takes."

"We don't even know for sure if it was him," Impa said. "But it certainly seems like it."

"It's not supposed to be like this," Kylia said. "It wasn't supposed to happen again. It really wasn't. And I know it's him...that jackass shook my hand. And I felt something when he touched me. I don't know what it was, I can't describe it. But I felt something. Goddesses, it's supposed to be over. We have to tell Link. We have to be ready."

"All right," Impa said. "Saria, would you...?"

"Sure," she said, sliding off of the bed and heading for the stairs again. A moment later, she was back with a very confused Link.

"What's going on?" he asked. Then he saw that Kylia had been crying. "Guys, is everything okay?"

Saria shook her head.

Link felt a cold knot form in his stomach. Something had to be terribly wrong, if Kylia had cried. Had someone died? Gotten hurt? Was someone sick, dying? His mind jumped from one possibility to another, each becoming worse and worse.

"Sit," Impa said.

"Whatever it is, I can take it," Link said, but he put a hand on the wall to steady himself anyway.

"We...we think...."

Kylia began the sentence, but she couldn't get the words out. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath; she had to do this.

"We think...that somehow...he got out."

Link took two paces to the bed and sat down next to Saria. He didn't even need to ask who Kylia meant by "he." She could only mean one person. But that was impossible. Impossible....

Kylia and Impa explained about the Shekiah translation for the word "Ajem," and Kylia's strange feeling when they shook hands. Impa said that Ajem's eagerness to meet Link and Zelda, combined with the fact that Link remembered feeling chilly when he saw Malon and her date approach was something to be very suspicious about.

"But that can't be true, he can' be out, we sealed him there forever!" Link said. His clear, bright blue eyes were now clouded with worry; they looked almost gray. "There isn't any way he could have gotten out. Nothing could have gotten in or out, no matter what."

"Don't tell Zelda," Impa warned. "She couldn't take it."

"She has a right to know."

"She's still afraid for someone to kiss her; a single mention of Ganondorf makes her go quiet for half an hour; she couldn't deal with it. She doesn't need to know, not yet. He hasn't left her alone yet, he's still haunting her. He still scares her, a lot."

"He still scares me, too," Link admitted quietly, staring at the floor. Saria put a hand on his shoulder. He looked over at her and smiled a little.

"But you have the Triforce of Courage," Impa said. "Zelda has Wisdom. That in itself says that you can take it better than she can. Please, Link, don't tell her."

"I won't," Link said. "Goddesses, that creep was with Malon. And after what he tried to do to Zelda...if he had gotten her alone...."

Link trailed off and buried his face in his hands. "I'd never forgive myself if something happened to either of them, especially...something like _that_. We gotta find the Ajem person."

"I told Impa we could look in the forest," Saria said. She aimed the next sentence at Kylia. "Couldn't you get your friends to look in the desert?"

Kylia nodded mutely. "I couldn't tell anyone why, except Ani, maybe Tara and Jai. But I could get them to look."

Saria brightened. "I bet we could get Ruto to check out Lake Hylia and Zora's River for us!" she said. Link snorted.

"I could, you couldn't. You think Darunia and the Gorons would look on Death Mountain?"

"Of course," Kylia said. "The thing is, it's going to be pretty hard to do a huge search if we can't tell anyone about it. We have to be careful."

Saria nodded. "Link...we ought to take Zelda with us when we look in the Lost Woods."

"Why? Won't she want to know what's going on?"

"Yeah...but if we find him, you two are the best bet at fighting him. Better than her going with someone else and finding him, and having to fight him alone."

"True," Link said. "Impa?"

"It's a smart idea," Impa said. "But I'm a worrier when it comes to Zelda. Link, don't let anything happen to her...."

"I won't," Link vowed. "I'd die first."

A wry grin spread over Kylia's face.

"What?" Link asked, baffled.

"That is so sweet!" Kylia cooed, making Link turn red.

"Yeah," Saria added, unable to resist the opportunity. "You two are so cute together, and you're sitting there saying you'll protect her with your life and everything, that just makes the most adorable picture."

"Shut up," Link muttered, turning a deeper shade of red.

"Typical guy in love," Kylia said to Impa. "He gets embarrassed about it so easily. And he is _so_ much fun tease."

Link went even redder at the word love. "I gotta go...play cards," he said. "I'll see you guys later."

"Not getting out of it that easy!" Kylia crowed.

Link glared at her. "This is not the time to mess with me," he said.

"Okay, whatever," she said.

Link shot a pleading look at Impa, who usually avoided teasing him on the subject of Zelda. She sighed and grabbed Kylia by the arm, and dragged her back upstairs, leaving Link and Saria alone.

Link looked over at her. "Still gonna tease me?"

"Nah, I'll leave you alone for now."

"Thank you." Link let his breath out in a long slow hiss.

"I just got one question."

"What?" Link asked warily. "Go ahead and ask, but I'm not promising any answers."

"You'll answer me eventually, you can't ever keep things from me."

Link stuck his tongue out at her. She did the same and they laughed.

"Seriously," Link said. "What?"

"_Do_ you love Zelda?" Saria asked, suddenly a bit more serious.

Link threw a pillow at her.

"Go ahead and tell me, I won't tell," Saria said, ducking.

"Well...well, yeah, I think I do, but I mean, I'm not really into that kind of...."

Saria giggled. "I thought you did. Gosh, you ought to see the look on your face."

"Go jump."

"Make me."

Link picked Saria up as though she herself was a pillow. He ran up the stairs and out of the bookcase with her. Everyone stared as he dropped her on the couch, and walked very normally up the stairs to his room.

"Goodnight, Saria," Link called. Saria, from downstairs, could almost _hear_ him smirking.

"Go jump!"

- - -

Link did not get much sleep that night. He simply couldn't get his mind to shut down. His body was so tired, but....

"Link," Navi whispered from his nightstand, "are you okay?"

"No...not really."

"What's wrong?"

"Impa would kill me if I told you."

"Oh."

Link turned over in bed, trying to get comfortable.

"...if you tell me, I won't say you told."

Link laughed a little. "Trust me, you don't want to know."

Navi's interest doubled. "Yeah, I do."

"Will you come to the Lost Woods with Zelda, Saria, and me?"

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow."

"Yeah."

"You won't tell anyone, will you?"

"Nope."

"Not anybody?"

"Not anybody."

"This goes double for Zelda."

"Just tell me!"

"Don't mess, okay? This is dead serious."

"Really?"

"Yeah...."

Link launched into the story of Ajem, and the meeting he held with Impa, Saria, and Kylia. Navi was silent the whole time.

"Are you _serious_?" she said, when he was through.

"Dead serious, I told you."

"This is impossible...."

"Remember, you can't tell _anyone_!" Link said. "Especially not Zel, okay?"

"Okay."

"Swear on the thing that means the most to you."

"I swear on your life."

Link looked at her, surprised. "Really?"

"Yes, really. I'm your guardian, you dummy."

Link smiled a little. "'Kay. Night."

"Night."

- - -

"Before anyone leaves," Kylia announced at breakfast the next morning, "I need...you, you, and you. And you too," she said, pointing first at Saria, Darunia, and Ruto, then at Johan.

"Why?" Ruto asked.

"You'll see. Me'n Link gotta talk to you."

Ruto brightened; seeing Link without Zelda was a definite plus.

"Sure," she said. "Where at?"

"Downstairs."

Saria and the Kokiri children had stayed the night, as had Malon, Talon, Darunia, Little Link, Ruto, and Kylia's friends, Tara, Ani, and Jai. The other people who had came to the party were staying at other inns, to avoid being in Hyrule Field at night.

"Come to think of it," Kylia said, as she sat back down at her table, "I'll need you guys too."

She spoke to Ani, Tara, and Jai. They looked at her strangely.

"What's going on?" Ani asked. She was a Gerudo woman, with short red hair, that hung to her shoulders. She wore a white outfit, which was a bit revealing, and had two scimitars attacked to her back.

"_C_," Tara added, using the Gerudo term for yes. "You've been acting funny since last night."

Tara was also a Gerudo; she had a red outfit made of silk that was extremely revealing, and her soft read hair hung in a loose ponytail down to her waist. Her scimitars were hanging over her shoulder in their sheaths, unlike most Gerudo women.

"She's getting married!" Jai guessed, laughing. Jai was another Gerudo woman. She had her hair pulled back in a tight ponytail the hung to her shoulders, but when it was let down, her hair fell to the middle of her back. Her outfit was almost identical to Ani's, except that it was purple. She was a bit younger than her friends; she was eighteen, nearly nineteen, and they were all in their mid twenties.

Kylia sighed. "Don't joke, you guys. It's serious."

"How serious?" Jai wanted to know.

"Dead serious."

- - -

After breakfast, the sages who had stayed the night, Johan, Ani, Tara, Jai, and Link went downstairs. They stayed in the front room, as it was the only room big enough to hold them all. As a precaution, Link made Navi stand guard at the bookcase, to make sure no one listened in on their conversation, or came downstairs and interrupted them.

Everyone was looking at Link and Kylia expectantly. Little did they know that they were about to receive news that would turn their happy lives upside down.

"There isn't an easy way to put this," Kylia said. "But we have to tell all of you, because we need help."

Johan frowned and exchanged a confused glance with Ani.

"See," Link said, "Last night at the party, there was someone there...someone who shouldn't have been."

"Someone who isn't even supposed to be in Hyrule," Kylia said.

"His name was Ajem," Link said.

"But we found out from Impa that it isn't a name, it's a Shekiah word. Before we tell you what it means, everyone has to swear not to tell a single soul about this."

Everyone nodded, and murmured as one, "I swear."

"He danced with Malon," Link said. "And he seemed really eager to meet me and Zelda. When he got near me, I felt cold...but I never actually met him, and neither did Zel."

"He shook my hand," Kylia said. "And it felt funny. I can't put it into words. But something happened."

Link took a deep breath. "Like we said, he was not supposed to be there...translated, the word Ajem means evil."

The room was dead silent.

"We think it's him," Kylia said. "Ganondorf."

Ruto and Jai both gasped and covered their mouths with their hands. Saria looked at the floor.

"How?" said Tara. "That's impossible!"

"H-he can't get out of there," Darunia said. "There's no way...."

He looked extremely shaken, and for good reason. He too, had an ancient grudge against the Evil King; Ganondorf had had Little Link eaten alive by a fire breathing dragon, right in front of Darunia's eyes, and he had also done the same thing to the rest of the Goron race. It had been years, and his son was alive again, thanks to Navi's wish, but the experience was still fresh in Darunia's memory; it was something he would never forget, and he was extremely sensitive about it, not to mention overly protective of his son and his people.

"I thought the sages sealed him away for good!" Ani said. "Are you sure it was him?"

Kylia nodded, noticing Johan hadn't said anything. He was studying the floor, looking as though he wished he was dreaming. He had been murdered by Ganondorf; it was bound to leave an impression on a person. They were all shocked and upset; but he seemed to be taking it well, in his own quiet way. Johan, Kylia knew, had never liked to talk about things that bothered him, though he was normally a very open man.

Kylia had known Johan since a very young age. Before Link was born, terrible wars had been fought in Hyrule; the races had been divided, the people had been cruel. Kylia had been taken on a mission with some other Gerudo women, and they had, she found out later, purposely left her to die in Hyrule, on Ganondorf's orders.

However, hiding in a cold dark alley, she was discovered by Johan. Someone had said they saw a little Gerudo girl sitting in an alley, crying, and they had reported it to Johan because he was a soldier, and all soldiers had been ordered to kill a Gerudo on sight. Johan had gone to the alley and found Kylia, desperate to get to the little girl before she was murdered by another soldier. At first, Kylia struggled, afraid for her life, but she soon realized that Johan was not going to hurt her. He took her to the Inn, which was hidden underground at that point, and sheltered her there until she had been able to go back to her own people. She had not realized then that she should have savored the shocked look on Ganondorf's face when she showed up at Gerudo Valley, after being away for three or four years.

At sixteen, Ganondorf had booted her from Gerudo Valley, threatening death if any Gerudo ever laid eyes on her again, and, having no other place to go, she went back to the Inn. Johan welcomed her, glad to see her again, and she stayed there until a little after her birthday, when Ani turned up and told her who her father was, and that they needed her to lead Gerudo Valley. It had only been a few years before she was transported to the Spirit Temple, where she had had to stay, because she was a sage. During that time, a mysterious cloaked stranger had talked with her often, keeping her company in the lonely temple.

She had been attacked by two witches, Koume and Kotake, and they had enslaved her mind. Her body had not been her own; she could not even speak. Not a week after that, Link had shown up. They had had a battle, and he would have lost, had Kylia not been hit on the head by the cloaked stranger. When she woke up, he had told her that her friends were fighting the witches and needed her help. He had helped her to sit up, and regain control of herself. Then he had vanished. At the time, Kylia thought it was goodbye, because both of them had separate jobs to do. But it was not to be so.

Kylia had found out later that the cloaked stranger was truly Johan, helping her out again. He had been killed and revived, and now they both lived at the Inn, now that Hyrule was at peace.

Johan had always been open with everyone, except when it came to problems. He faced those alone, and almost always kept them to himself. This was why Kylia wasn't surprised when she saw him take the news in his own, quiet way.

"What are we going to do?" he said at last. "We should probably find that kid, before he does something we'll regret."

"That was our plan," Link said. "Me, Saria, Navi, and Zel are going to the Lost Woods to look for him. We wanted to ask if Ruto would check out Lake Hylia and Zoras River for us," Link said, looking at Ruto. "And we were also going to see if Darunia and the Gorons would check Death Mountain. Remember, us and Impa are the only people who know about this, so not a word to anyone, okay?"

"Got it," said Ruto. "I'll be happy to look for you, Link. What should I do if I find him?"

"You got two choices," Kylia said. "You either run, or you follow him and see where he goes. I'd advise against doing the latter. Ani," she said to her friend, "I'll help you round up the rest of the women at the valley and we can look in the desert, okay?"

Ani nodded.

"So let's go," Link said. "Whenever you guys are ready, but in the next ten seconds would be cool."

"I'm not arguing," Darunia said. "We can't sit around while there's a chance that monster is on the loose."

Everyone trooped back upstairs. Lin and Johan were the last ones out of the bookcase. Before Link got out, Johan asked him, "Isn't there anything I can do?"

"Yeah," Link said. "Two things. Make sure Rauru finds out about this and knows not to tell anyone. And keep an eye out for this Ajem guy. He might come back...please, don't let him near Malon. You know what he tried to do to Zelda and I don't have any doubt that he'd do the same to Malon if he got back to her. Keep an eye on her for me, okay?"

Johan nodded. "I'll see if I can get her to come over here, so I can watch her better." He paused. "Try not to worry too much."

"I'll try," Link said. "But I'm not sure how much good it'll do."

- - -

"So, why are we here, anyway?" Zelda asked. "I mean, it's a nice day for a walk and everything, but...."

Link, Zelda, Saria, and Navi were walking through the Lost Woods. Link was holding on to Epona's reigns; he had decided to bring her along in case they needed to go somewhere fast. Saria was making it a point to look everywhere she could for anyone, but so far they had turned up nothing.

"Zel," Link said. "We're going to visit the Skull Kids. I don't think you've ever met one."

"What's a skull kid?"

"Aw, man, they're awesome. They're like Kokiri; they never grow up. Except they're like...like little imps," Link said eagerly. "Love to party. Real wild bunch. We're gonna go have a party with them."

Saria giggled. So did Navi.

"I don't buy it," Zelda said. "But I guess I'll let you get away with whatever you're doing for now."

Link stopped and took both of her hands in his.

"Thank you," he said with a straight face, only half joking.

Zelda laughed, but something about Link's manner made her seem uneasy. "You're welcome?"

"To what, exactly? Really, I'd _love_ to know."

"Swine."

"I love you too."

"Why don't we split up?" Saria hissed at Link when Zelda wasn't listening. "You go talk to the skull kids and I'll check the far corner. Meet back here in an hour?"

"Sure, okay."

Saria made up an excuse for leaving, and Link made his way through the woods to the Skull Kid Hideout. The skull kids knew Link pretty well from when he was younger; they would talk to him when the Kokiri wouldn't, and they didn't like the other Kokiri anyway, save for Saria.

It wasn't long before they came to a clearing in the trees. Several imp-like creatures were dancing around a small campfire, and off to one side, several were crowded around some object that Link couldn't see. There was music playing; Link recognized it as a special song Saria played, one that never failed to remind him of the Lost Woods.

A skull kid dancing around the fire spotted Link and ran up to him.

"Hi, Link!" the skull kid said. "Who is this?"

Link introduced Zelda, Epona, and Navi. He could tell Zelda had fallen in love with the skull kids, and he couldn't blame her. They were really cute, if you looked at them the right way.

"What's going on over there?" Zelda asked, indicating the skull kids in a crowd to the side.

"A boy came here yesterday," the skull kid said. "At first he acted funny. He made friends with Maclar, and he told Maclar to go somewhere. Then the boy fell down, and went to sleep, and he hasn't waken up. Maclar disappeared, and we haven't seen him since. He's probably playing with Tatl and Tael."

"Who're they?" Zelda asked.

"Fairy twins, friends of his. We're not sure if they're real; he says they're from another world and we've never met them. He says he goes to their world all the time. It's kind of sad, Maclar doesn't have very many friends, and when he talks crazy the other kids pick on him."

"Can I see the boy who came yesterday?" Link asked carefully.

"Sure," said the skull kid. "Hey guys, move outta the way, Link wants to see the weird boy!"

Link walked over to the huddle, followed by Navi. Zelda started to come, but he told her to stay with Epona, in case she got skittish.

The crowd parted and Link saw a boy about his age lying on the ground, eyes closed. Link got out his sword and pointed it at the boy's chest.

"See if you can wake him up," Link said. "Put some water on his face."

A skull kid sprinkled water on the boy's face and his eyes fluttered open.

He gasped when he saw the sword pointed at his chest. "Wh-who the hell are you?" he asked, wide-eyed.

"I think you know."

The boy took a long look at the green clothes. "Link?"

"Right. Now, who are you?"

"My name is Wes," the boy said. "Where am I, how did I get here, and why have you got that sword pointed at me?"

Link blinked. He recognized the person, yet he didn't feel cold. And this boy had said his name was Wes, not Ajem.

"Do you know anyone named Malon?"

Wes shook his head. "No, never met anyone by that name. Isn't that the farm girl who lives at the ranch?"

"Yeah...what's the last thing you remember, before you went unconscious?"

Wes blinked. "I'm not sure...if I tell you, will you let me go?"

"Maybe. Worth a shot."

Wes frowned. "Whatever...I think I was going to the castle. It was night, and there was a huge party. Everyone in Hyrule had been invited. I was walking through the Market when something touched me from behind. I dunno, for some reason, that was all it took, I passed out. Next thing I know I'm here and you're about to kill me."

Link frowned. Was it possible that Ganondorf had possessed this guy? If so, Wes could touch the Master Sword. Ganondorf couldn't; even if he wasn't in his body, he was still evil, and the touch of the sword would send him flying.

"Touch the sword."

"Excuse me?"

"Touch the sword, and if you don't go flying through the air I'll let you go."

Wes just stared.

"Jeez, man, you have to touch the sharp part, just touch it!"

Wes reached over towards Link's sword, then stopped. "Is it really going to blow me up?"

"Not if you were being honest awhile ago."

"Okay, I lied. I do know a Malon. I watch her and her dad deliver milk to the Market every day and I think she's awesome. I sort of like her, but I've never met her. Is the sword still gonna blow me up?"

"No," Link said.

Wes put a finger on the blade, followed by the rest of his hand.

"There, now will you let me up?"

Link removed the sword and extended a hand to help Wes up off the ground.

"Sorry," he said. "But you got to that party last night. You danced with Malon and met a Gerudo woman named Kylia. Then you ditched Malon right in the middle of it and we haven't seen you since. You called yourself Ajem."

Zelda gasped. She knew a little Shekiah; that word was one of the ones she knew, and it meant evil. She felt fear flood through her; she hated that word because it reminded her of Ganondorf, and the memory of him made her afraid. What was going on here?

Link winced at the sound of the gasp, knowing Zelda would start putting the pieces together any minute.

Wes shook his head. "I don't remember any of that."

"I think something possessed you," Link said in a low voice. "I'm not sure how much to tell you, but you're going to have a really tough time when you get back."

"Why is that?"

"Well, I have my friends on the lookout for you. They think that you're—"

A loud whinny from behind him cut his words off. Link whirled around to see that Epona had been mounted by a skull kid wearing an ugly mask, and followed by two balls of light, a cream colored one, and a deep purple one. Epona wasn't taking to it very well. She reared up. The skull kid kicked her roughly, and she reared up.

"Hey!" Navi said. She zipped over to the skull kid, but in a flash, he had whipped out a bottle and he had her in it. He kicked Epona again, and she darted through the trees in a fit. Link grabbed Zelda's hand and started running.

"You rotten thief, get back her with my horse!"

The cream colored ball of light looked back and shouted to the skull kid, "Watch where you're going, Maclar, and speed it up!"

In a few minutes, Epona, Navi, and the skull kid were out of sight. Link swore and leaned against a tree, panting.

"We gotta go after them," he said, resuming a walking pace, trying to get the stitch out of his side. Zelda followed.

"Link, what's going on around here? Who is that Wes guy? Ajem means evil in Shekiah, do you know that?"

"Yes."

"Who would have that kind of name, Link?"

Link remained silent and continues to follow the trail of hoofprints. They grew lighter and lighter. He hoped the trail would last long enough to find them.

"Link." Zelda stopped, forcing him to stop with her. "Please tell me the truth. What's going on?"

Link looked away. "He got out. Ganondorf got out. He's back."

Zelda gasped, then sank to the ground in a dead faint.  
  
**AN:** I dunno, maybe the fainting bit was a little too dramatic. Eh well. Anyways, thankies for the reveiws! nn They make Liz a happy person. Anyways, time for the responses.

**blood red stain:** Thankies! Glad I don't bore you. nn;;;  
**ShadowShard:** Heh, I'm glad you liked the chap. You were right about Ajem...sort of. Ajem is evil, Wes is just nice.  
**GinTsuki:** Yay, it kicks ass! nn I'm glad. And yes, the ZeLink is going to continue. I'm probbly the biggest ZeLink shipper on the planet, besides Alexandra Spears. (Another author, I dunno if her stuff is posted here, but it's at Kasuto . net) Heh, anyways, I know this is inappropiate, but...update your story!! Please! You haven't updated in ages!  
**Link, SSB, and Yu-Gi-Oh Fan:** Your story does not suck! Don't say that, it makes Liz cry. ;-;  
**Blowfish the Monkey Tamer:** Lol, Ajem...you'll see. You've already seen enough, but you'll see more. He's both! Gah, it's so confusing to have him in the wrong body.  
  
Well, I s'pose that does it. Next chap should be up soon. When Link goes Deku he turns into a midget. n.n Can't wait to write that, but right now I'm tired and going to bed. Please reveiw me! Byes!  
  
EDIT: When you see c in italics, that's actually a c with and e following it, only the e has a mark above it so quick edit edits it out. the word that Gerudo say when they mean yes is actually pronounced "sey." I just now noticed that error. Sorry bout that. nn'


	5. Chapter Four: Midget

**Author's Notes:** I love the title of this chapter XD. As a side note, go find an Al Bhed translator and punch in Ajem and see what that turns into in english. I get all my different language words like that. Fun, yes? n.n   
  
...Enjoy the uber-short chappie.

Chapter Four: Midget

"Zel, wake up...c'mon, we gotta hurry, wake up...."

Someone shook her shoulder gently, and then sprinkled water on her face. She groaned and sat up, feeling distinctly embarrassed.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"S'ok, Zel. You all right?"

"Yeah. Link, that isn't true, is it?"

Link's blue eyes found the ground. Zelda bit her lip.

"But Link, how?"

"That's what everyone keeps asking me!" Link said, upset. "And I don't know, I don't...I just know he's out there and we have to find him before it's too late. I can't let him kill anyone else."

Link cursed his emotions. He felt like crying. Or screaming. Or both. Ganondorf had taken so many things, and many of them had been restored with Navi's wish, but his parents were still gone. So was his childhood. They could never be brought back.

And Link would never forget the cold he felt, when getting near the King of Evil. He would never forget the creeping chills that swept through his body, never forget that sick feeling in his stomach, never forget climbing the spiraling staircase, being so cold he had to keep walking just to keep from freezing to death....

As the memories of that awful day ran through his mind, he shuddered. He could almost feel the cold again. All around him. Inside of him.

Link shook his head to clear his thoughts. He couldn't let that get to him, not now. He had to go after Navi. He silently helped Zelda to her feet and began walking again.

Zelda reached out and took Link's hand, needing some comfort; she too was remembering the cold. The memories flashed before her eyes as if she was living them again...being trapped between Ganondorf and the wall...surrounded by the cold...the horrible cold....

Zelda shuddered.

"He scares me, Link."

She hadn't meant to say the words, they just came on their own. But they were, without a shadow of a doubt, the truest words she had ever spoken.

"He scares me too," Link said, moving closer to her and holding her hand more tightly. "But we're the only ones who can fight him. Us and the sages."

"Is that where everyone went? Looking for Wes, or Ajem, or whatever?"

"Yeah," Link said. He explained about Ajem's eagerness to meet them, and Kylia's feeling when they shook hands. He didn't have to tell her about the chill. She knew.

They were silent for a long time as they walked, each lost in their own memories. Link remembered touching a doorknob in the tower, months ago...it had been so cold it burned. All Zelda could think about was what had almost happened in the top of the tower.

She moved even closer to Link, and he put an arm around her, knowing what was going through her head.

"It'll be okay, Zel. I won't let him near you. I promise."

She looked up at his bright blue eyes, full of determination.

"Thank you."

As they walked, the forest got darker, and the hoofprints continued. Link soon realized that he had never seen this part of the forest before, and that they were way past their meeting time with Saria. But he couldn't give up; Navi could be in trouble.

"Link, where are we?" Zelda whispered after several minutes had passed. "I've never been here before."

"I haven't either. I could follow the trail and go back, though, so we're not lost. But Zel, we gotta keep going...that skull kid's got Navi. Geez, this is _just_ what I need when I'm trying to track down the King of Evil."

"I know...what'll we do if the track runs out?"

"I dunno."

After a few more minutes, the trail became different. Before, the hoofprints were far apart; Epona had been running, and pretty quickly, at that. Now they prints were closer together, as if Epona had slowed to a walk.

"He's nearby," Link muttered. "Keep your eyes open."

All of the sudden, there was a loud whinny from the trees ahead. Link ran forward, breaking the embrace, but grabbing Zelda's hand, and Zelda kept up with his pace. They darted through the trees, forgetting to stick to the trail. Link rushed towards the sound as fast as he could without losing Zelda; he was sure that sound had been Epona....

He came to a clearing in the trees. Standing there, without a horse and with a bottle in his hand, was the skull kid. The two balls of light hovered around his head.

"What did you do with my horse?" Link asked angrily.

"Don't worry," the skull kid said. "I...took care of it for you. What a wild beast! Trust me, you don't need a thing like that anyway. I actually did you a favor, y'know."

Zelda gasped and called the skull kid something that she wouldn't normally said otherwise.

Link drew out his sword. "You'll pay for killing that horse."

Epona had been special to him. And this creep had...?

It was too much to think about.

He did _not_ need this now. He was supposed to be looking for Ganondorf, not chasing after some mischievous skull kid.

"Gimme back Navi, and you might be alive at the end of the day."

"What, this stupid creature?" the skull kid said, tossing the bottle with Navi in it up into the air and back down again. Navi swore from inside the bottle.

"You don't need her, Hero of Time," the skull kid said. "My fairies are cooler anyway."

"Yeah!" said the cream colored fairy. "We can go back and forth between worlds! We can make so much trouble and no one can catch us!"

"This fairy is stupid," said the purple fairy. "She can't do anything cool."

"If you really want her back, you'll have to trade," said the skull kid. "I want an ocarina!"

Link's guard was up now; the only one he had with him was the Ocarina of Time, and even that had been in Epona's saddlebag.

Navi knew it. "Don't!" she said. "No telling what'll happen to it."

Link shook his head at the skull kid.

"No? Well then, you'll have to catch me!"

The skull kid turned and fled through the trees. Link and Zelda raced after him.

The trees grew thicker. So did the darkness. It was night now, and the trees were too thick to let in light from the stars or moon. It was pitch black. All Link could do was follow the sound of the footsteps. And suddenly, there wasn't ground under his feet any longer. He and Zelda fell, down, down, down....

Link felt dizzy as they fell. Something was happening. Something weird. Something bad.

His right hand began to itch uncontrollably. That was his warning bell. Something really, _really_ bad was about to happen. And still, he kept falling, one hand in Zelda's, the other failing through the air helplessly.

Link hated heights. Besides Ganondorf, heights were the only thing that could truly scare him. He had once fallen from Death Mountain, and even then, heights had made him nervous. Now they scared him to death. It wasn't rational, he knew, but he couldn't help it.

It was because this he enjoyed the fall even less than Zelda did.

They hit the ground roughly; Zelda was knocked unconscious. There was a dim light now; coming from two torches on the floor of the room they had landed in. It was circular, with a small pond off to one side and a door off to another.

Link spotted two glowing eyes through the dim light. For a moment his mind jumped to Ganon, then he saw the rest of the body of the skull kid come into view, by the light of the two fairies. Zelda was out of sight, hidden in a dark corner, and Link was glad; he had promised Impa not to let anything happen to her.

He scrambled to his feet and drew out his sword again.

"So," the skull kid hissed, and Link noticed that Navi was very still inside her bottle. He hoped nothing had happened to her.

"You just don't know when to give up, do you?" said the cream colored fairy.

"Teach him a lesson, Maclar!" the purple fairy said.

"Yeah!" said the cream colored fairy.

"Good idea," murmured the skull kid. "But how to teach?"

Link gripped his sword tightly.

"Whatever you can do, it can't rival Ganon's powers," Link said, sounding a lot braver than he felt. He had a _bad_ feeling about this. "I beat him once, so I can beat you too. Just gimme back Navi and I won't hurt you—much."

"You fool," said the skull kid. "I have this mask now. It will give me everything I need. I won't have to suffer alone anymore. If I should be alone, then the rest of the world can feel my misery! The world never did anything for me, anyway. Now they'll regret it."

For a moment, Link stood there in surprise. He heard _himself_ say those words, not the skull kid. He remembered a time when he had thought the same thing, the very same thing....

The day his life changed....

The Deku Tree, the guardian of his home, had asked him to go inside of him and break a curse, to help save the world. Link remembered thinking terrible things then. What had he owed the world? What had he owed his so-called brothers and sisters? He was supposed to save them, when they had done nothing for him except make him miserable?

And then the skull kid had said the same thing. "The world never did anything for me, anyway."

But he had taken a different path. He had never figured out why. He had never found out why he had risked his life, again and again, for Hyrule. He couldn't put his finger on why he did it. Many vague reasons, many guesses. But never one, certain thing. It had been the right thing to do. But he hadn't known that then...had he?

Eventually, once out of the forest, he made friends, found family, had a reason to protect what he loved. But before he had a reason, he had done it anyway. It might have been Saria's doing; she had, for the most part, raised him; she had tried to teach him to be kind and forgiving, like she was. So he gave the world a second chance...and he found that he liked life very much.

Obviously, the skull kid didn't believe in second chances.

"I know exactly what to do with you, forest boy," the skull kid spat. "You can become part of the place you love so much. And you'll never catch up to me."

The skull kid pointed a single finger at Link, and he felt a hot, bubbling pain burn in his stomach. The sword fell out of his hands, and he doubled up in pain, and hit the ground with a rough thump. His skin was on fire; his body was being pushed from all sides; the pain was unreal. He gritted his teeth, determined not to scream, not to show weakness in front the skull kid.

He didn't see it, but in the bottle, Navi, who had been knocked out by hitting the side of the bottle, stirred. She saw Link laying on the ground, gritting his teeth. She saw what happened to him.

The pain grew more intense by the second. Finally, Link could bear it no longer, and he cried out. The skull kid lifted his finger and laughed.

"That could be a nice look for you," he said softly, floating backwards through the door. Link did not hear him. His world had gone fuzzy and dim in the aftermath of the pain. The purple fairy floated through the door. The cream colored one stayed behind.

She laughed at Link. "Boy, you sure do look stupid, lying there on the ground like that."

The door slammed shut.

The fairy screeched and turned around. "Hey, Maclar! Tael! Wait on me!"

She flew over to the doorknob and tried to turn it, but it was to no avail. She started to cry weakly, sitting on the doorknob.

Link fought through the fuzzy dimness and struggled to stay awake. He had to check on Zelda. He managed to walk dizzily toward her, but he could barely see or feel.

Zelda heard the footsteps and opened her eyes. She screamed and got to her feet.

"What is that?" she said.

The fairy looked up from the doorknob. She hadn't realized someone else was there.

"Who are you?" the fairy demanded.

"What is that?" Zelda asked again, pointing at Link.

"Ha ha, real funny, Zel," Link said.

At least, he tried to say it. Nothing happened.

"That's your friend, the one we stole the horse from."

Zelda gasped. "But Link...he's a human."

"Not anymore," the fairy smirked. "Take a look at yourself!" she called to Link from the doorknob. "You're in for a real surprise."

Link silently made his way to the pond. He took a deep breath and looked down. Then he let out a terrified yelp.

"I-I'm a midget!" Link tried to say. He had a wooden body, and a snout rather than a mouth. Not only that, but he was shorter than Saria, and she was ten years old. He tried to figure out how to talk through the snout.

"Zel," he managed to get out at last. "Zel, look at me! What happened? I'm a—a midget!"

"No use," the fairy said. "I don't think she knows Deku."

"Deku?"

"Yep. You're speaking Deku now, cause you're a Deku Scrub. You don't know it, but can't understand a word you're saying."

Link swore colorfully.

Zelda, who had heard what the fairy said, asked. "What did he say? Just now? You have to translate."

"I'm not about to repeat what he just said."

"Why?" Zelda demanded.

"My moral values are higher than that. You need to learn to watch your language!" she said to Link.

"Go to hell. How could you let him do this to me?"

"I thought it was funny."

"Thought what was funny?" Zelda asked.

"Him turning into a scrub." The fairy cackled.

"What's your name, anyway?" Link said.

"I'm Tatl. You?"

"I used to be Link, Hero of Time. Now I'm Link, Hero of Scrubs."

Tatl laughed. Then she turned serious. "Oh wow, you're like, _the_ Link?"

"Duh!" Link and Zelda said together, in different languages.

"We scrubbed _Link_!" Tatl gasped. "Tael sure would like that. Speaking of which, when are you gonna let me out of here?"

"Let you out of here?" Zelda repeated. "After what you did to Link and Epona and Navi? We don't owe you any favors, okay?"

Tatl was silent for a minute, thinking. She had gotten in it deep this time. She had to get out; Tael couldn't watch himself without her. She could always fly up and go back to Hyrule, but she would still have to get someone big to open that door.

"Look up," Tatl instructed.

Link and Zelda looked up.

"The only way out of here is through that door. That door leads to another world, a world that is parallel to Hyrule. It's exactly like Hyrule, but at the same time, totally different. When we all get there, you'll see what I mean."

Zelda glared at her. "We ought to stuff you in a bottle, you stupid fairy, and carry you to the sand river and throw you in!"

"The only way out of here is to go to Termina," Tatl said. "You won't last five minutes there without someone who knows their way around. Me and Tael helped Maclar steal that mask from a magic man. I bet that man could change your friend back. I could probably find him in Termina. He's looking for us, he wants his mask back. See, you aren't the first stop we made since yesterday when we got the mask. We've turned full grown men into little kids, stolen things, changed the weather, wreaked all sorts of havoc. So that man knows we got his mask, and he's looking for us. So he'll be in Termina. He's your best bet at getting human again."

Link was silent.

"Think about it, you need me as much as I need you. It's not like you're going back there any time soon," she said softly, gesturing towards the top of the pit they were in.

"My things were in my saddlebag. The only thing I have left is my sword. If I let you out, will you help me become human again, and help me get my stuff back? Will you help me find Navi?"

"Sure. I gotta find Tael anyway, he needs me, and they could be anywhere by now, that mask travels fast."

"No more tricks, right?"

"No more."

Zelda was watching the conversation, only able to understand one side of it.

"What's happening?"

"We've decided on a truce, until I get back to Tael and he finds his fairy. Right, Link?"

"Whatever." Link walked to the door uncomfortably. His wooden joints were hard to move. He reached up to the knob and turned it. Then he pulled the door open.

"Tatl, tell Zelda to get my sword."

"Link says to get his sword," Tatl said obediently.

Zelda picked up the Master Sword, and the sheath that had fallen off of Link's back during the transformation. She put the sword on.

"Not bad," Link said. "You could pass for someone who used a sword instead of claws, if you wanted to."

"What did he say?"

"He said you were beautiful and he wanted you to marry him."

"I did not!" Link yelped.

"Now he just said that he wanted you to have his kids, all six of them."

"Zelda, I did _not_ say that!" Link yelled.

"Now he said for you not to get mad when he cheats on you, cause he'll still love you, only the other girls are prettier."

"Go to hell, you stupid fairy!" Link said, trying to swat her out of the air. If he had had skin, it would have been beet red.

Zelda judged from Link's angry reaction that Tatl was twisting Link's words drastically, and she laughed it off, fighting away her embarrassment. "Oh, he did not."

"Listen, you," Link said angrily. "If you're gonna be my translator. You gotta do it right. If you don't I'll squish you."

"Now what did he say?" Zelda inquired. "Say it right or I'll stomp you."

"You two think alike," Tatl commented. "Are you an item or something?"

Zelda rolled her eyes and walked through the door, leaving her companions standing there.

"This is going to be a _long_ day," she muttered.

Little did she know then the irony of her words.

**AN:** Heh, they are so in for it. Thank you for your reveiws! Which reminds me...reveiw responses! Quick, cause my mom is yelling at me to go to bed, since I gotta register for school tomorrow. I hate school. I don't need no school! It's evil.  
  
**Gerudo Princess:** T.T I'm always doing that! Bah, I'm too lazy to fix it. I fixed it on my word document. So it's cool. I see tons of those mistakes, and gosh, I bet I dun even notice but half. Thanks for pointing that out for me. (I need a proofreader. -.-') As a note to anyone reading this, if you find on of those mistakes that Word misses, _please_ tell me about it. And attacked was meant to be attached. Thank you.  
**Link, SSB, and Yu-Gi-Oh Fan:** It's okay, I just don't like it when people put down their work. (Yes, I'm a hypocrit. Or however you spell it.) I'm glad you liked the chappie. n.n  
**Blowfish the Monkey Tamer:** I named the chapter with you in mind. XD  
**unknown knower:** I'm not te-elling! ::sticks tongue out in a Link-like fashion:: Lol, seriously,you'll just have to wait and see, I hate giving away spoilers.  
**Greki:** Don't apologize for a late reveiw, better than no reveiw at all, right? I'm glad you appreciate the originality, it took ages to come up with something different enough to satisfy me. nn; And yes, I liked my vaca. n.n I got too much excersise, to tell the truth. nn; I must've lost ten pounds walking all over the water park we went to. Of course, I gained it back when I ate my next fast food meal, so it didn't accomplish much. T.T  
**GinTsuki:** Well, if the other comp has internet acess, just upload the document to the internet (like on angelfire or somewhere) and then go back to the file location and save it to the hard drive on the other computer. If not, use a floppy. If your floppies are as screwed as mine are, there's always the last resort of printing and re-typing. If you don't have a printer, you could always write it down and re-type. If you run out of paper, you could always write it down on your ha—heh, okay, now I'm just being stupid. Sorry. nn;  
**ShadowShard:** Eek, you spoiled it! I'm not telling you about Ganon now. And I'm glad you like the romance. I didn't get to do enough of it in my last story, so I'ma have fun in this one. n.n  
  
Well, I'm off to bed now. Goodnight all! _Please_ reveiw me!


	6. Chapter Five: Three Days Time

**Author's Notes:** Heh, you didn't think I wasn't gonna keep up with what was hapening in Hyrule, did you? I hope not! Enjoy the chap; sorry for the general bad flow and uber-shortness. (Note to self: quit making chapters so damn short.) 

Chapter Five: Three Days Time

Wes stared after Link as he ran after the horse. He knew he was in trouble now; Link thought he was up to no good, and there was no doubt that Link's friends—who were "on the lookout" for him, as Link had put it—were people not to cross. Now Link was gone, and none of his friends knew that Wes wasn't doing anything wrong.

"I'm _really_ in trouble," he said to a nearby skull kid, sitting down on the grass. "I don't even know the way out of here. Not that I'm entirely sure I wanna get out, if Link's friends think I'm up to no good. I wonder what possessed me, though?"

The skull kid shrugged. "I haven't a clue. But Link is a kind man. He will not harm you."

"Yeah, but his friends might. They think I'm doing bad things."

"Ahh, you _are_ in trouble, then."

"Gee, thanks."

"You are welcome. You could stay here as long as you like, but I'm afraid Saria will be here soon. She is the Sage of Forest, Link's best friend on this earth. She was with him today, and when he does not come back, she will be worried."

"What do you mean, 'not come back'?" Wes asked cautiously.

"He will not come back."

"How do you know?"

"I am what they call an elder. I have lived in this forest many years, almost as many as the ancient Kokiri race. There are only two other elders in our clan. I do not mean to sound proud, but we are very wise. We know the forest's secrets. Termina is one of those secrets."

"Termina?" Wes repeated. "What's Termina?"

"Another world," the skull kid said slowly. "Link will not come back from there. It claims all who go near it. He will go...but he won't come back."

"Why not?"

"I cannot say. But in three days time, you will have your answer."

Wes prodded the skull kid for more information, but his attempts were useless. He stayed with the skull kids until dark, wondering where Link was at the moment, and what this Saria girl would do to him.

_I just don't understand what they thought I was, _Wes thought._ I know something possessed me, but what? If Link could have just said that last word! _

_"They think you're—"_

_But _what_ do they think I am...some kind of monster?_

- - -

Saria looked around the trees until dark, finding nothing, and cursing her rotten luck. She realized then that she was probably late meeting Link, and that he was probably worried about her, so she trekked back through the woods to find him.

He wasn't there.

She double checked and triple checked every tree and grotto, but there was no sign of him. He seemed to have disappeared without a trace. Perhaps he was the late one, and he and Zelda had stayed with the skull kids too long.

Or perhaps something bad had happened.

Saria, worried for her friend, headed for the Skull Kid Hideout.

- - -

Wes stared at the fire, not quite seeing anything else around him, brooding. He thought about everything that had happened to him in a short twenty-four hours, and the thought of what could have possessed him was driving him insane. What could be bad enough that Link, the Hero of Time, was wary of it?

He thought of one being that could scare Link senseless. But that was impossible. Wes tried to put it out of his mind, and he stared at the fire, continuing to brood. He tried to tune out the world around him, like he did when his parents fought, and like he did when he got a lecture from his stepdad for doing something he hadn't really done. It wasn't long before he had withdrawn into his own little world.

It was for this reason he didn't notice someone was creeping up behind him. Two seconds later, there was a sword at his back.

Wes slowly put both hands up in the air. He was willing to bet that this was Saria.

"Don't even think about moving," said a female voice from behind him. It sounded young. "Who are you?"

"My name is Wes, I live in Kakariko, and last night at the party I was being possessed. Link already tracked me down, but he left to who knows where because someone stole his horse. He hasn't been back since. You're Saria, right?"

This was an overload of information for Saria, and she blinked a few times in surprise before answering.

"Good guess," she said warily. "How do I know you're not lying?"

"Ask the skull kids, they were here when I touched the Master Sword."

"I think I'll do just that," said Saria. "Hey, Jektah! C'mere!"

The skull kid who Wes had been talking to before came walking up to them. "Yes, Saria?"

"Who is this guy? Did he touch Link's sword?"

Wes, who was still sitting on the ground, held his breath.

"Yes, he did. Link seemed to think he was all right, at any rate."

Saria was silent for a moment. She trusted Link's judgment. She did not trust the person sitting in front of her.

"Are you positive?" Saria asked.

"Yes."

Saria lifted the Kokiri Sword from the stranger's back. "Turn around."

Wes turned to find himself looking at a small Kokiri girl, with curly green hair, dressed in green. She followed by an orange ball of light.

"Who _are_ you?" Saria asked again. "We thought—well, never mind that. You said your name was Wes?"

Wes nodded. "Link said something possessed me. I know it got me right before the party last night...but I have no idea what it was or how it got me here or how to get back to Hyrule! Just where am I, anyway?"

"You're in the Lost Woods, stupid," the ball of light said.

"Ellen!" Saria said. "Be nice. Sorry about her, she can be very rude to people she doesn't know. I could take you back, if you wanted, but you'll have to tell me where Link went."

As they walked back to the village, Wes told the story of what had happened to him since the previous night before the party, start to finish, including his brief meeting with Link. Then he began asking questions.

"What do you guys think possessed me? I was the one it got, I have a right to know."

"You'd be happier not knowing," Saria muttered darkly. "Especially if you like your life right now."

"I want to know," Wes said firmly.

Saria sighed. "You asked for it. We think it was Ganondorf."

Wes had never sworn in his life, but he did some serious swearing at that moment. Nothing compared to what Link could have done, but it was the worst language he had ever used in his life.

"Yeah. Stinks, doesn't, it?" Saria asked darkly. "All the sages are on the lookout for him...well, on the lookout for _you_."

"Perfect," Wes muttered as the reached the outskirts of the village. "Just perfect."

Saria was busy talking to Wes, so she didn't see Mido come up behind her.

"Who are you?" he asked, making Saria and Wes jump. Saria turned around.

"Mido, don't do that to me!"

"Sorry," Mido said carelessly. "How did he get here? I remember hearing someone walk through last might, but I figured it was Link."

"I don't know how he got in," Saria said. "The barrier at the bridge is supposed to keep strangers out."

"Well, who is he?"

Saria couldn't exactly say that he was the guy who had been possessed by the King of Evil, and she shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other.

"Umm, he's...he's, well...."

"I'm a friend of Link," Wes lied, to save himself some embarrassment.

"Oh," said Mido, but he gave Saria an odd look. "What's he doing here?"

"Enjoying my time," Wes said wryly. "What I have left of it," he added in a mutter.

"You Hylians!" Mido said, sounding frustrated. "I'll never figure out why you always act so weird. First Link, then we got _Zelda_ coming here every other day, and now you! And all three of you are weird!"

"He can get a little rude, too," Saria said uneasily, rubbing the back of her neck. She grabbed Wes's arm. "Why don't we go now, it's really getting late and I'm sure your family is worried about you."

Saria dragged Wes out onto the bridge, where she stopped and exhaled slowly. "You're in a _world_ of trouble, Mido is the last thing you need. He's a lot better than he used to be, but he's still kinda stupid sometimes. Come to think of it, though, _won't_ your family be worried about you?"

"Not really," said Wes, shrugging. "My mom is usually to busy taking care of my stepdad to notice when I'm gone. He's a drunk, see. I mean...she'd get worried if I didn't show up for a few days, but mostly she just figures I spend the night at a friend's house, if I don't come home."

"That's terrible," Saria said sadly.

"Not really. It isn't so bad. It's not that she doesn't love me, it's just that she has better things to do than take care of me."

"They'll take care of you at the Inn," Saria yawned. "I know it's dark, but almost all the monsters are gone, now that Ganondorf is gone. Well, you know what I mean. Heck, they don't even close the drawbridge at night anymore. I wouldn't suggest going, except for the fact that I have a sword."

Saria began to walk away towards Hyrule Field. Wes followed.

"So which inn are you talking about?" Wes asked.

"You know, _the_ Inn. Nobody can think of a better name. Johan doesn't like the ones Link and Kylia suggest."

"Who're Johan and Kylia?"

Saria began explaining to Wes what she knew as casual life. About Link's daily visits to the forest, and how he and his friends were all one huge family to each other. She told him about the sages, and about Johan. Mostly she just did it to have something to talk about, but she got a bit more inspired when she saw how fascinated Wes was. She realized that the idea of a family was probably a very strange concept to him. She thought he seemed nice enough, and wondered how many friends of his own he had.

They reached the Inn without too much hassle; only two stalchildren attacked them. Saria knew it was late, so she tried to be quiet when opening the door.

Kylia and Johan were still up, however, and they saw Saria come in with Wes. They minute they laid eyes on him, they jumped to their feet. Kylia had him at swordpoint in about two seconds.

"Spill, bastard, who are you?"

Wes groaned. "I'm Wes, dammit, not Ganondorf!"

"Shh!" Saria warned. "It's a secret! Kylia, he's okay, he's not Ganondorf," Saria added. "He was possessed. Link made him touch the Master Sword. But now it looks like Link has disappeared...."

Wes and Saria began retelling what had happened since that time twenty-four hours ago. It took a long time for Kylia to let her guard down; and Johan was no different. Wes could have been acting. Saria said that he had touched the Master Sword...but who knew?

He had promised Link to keep Malon safe. He couldn't take any chances; he would wait and see if this person really was who he claimed to be. He had to make sure his promise was unbroken.

Malon, who had been told of the situation, was staying the night at the Inn so someone could keep an eye on her at all times; this was part of the reason Johan was up so late; Kylia was up with him so he could have some company.

Now, however, she was standing at the top of the stairs, in a robe to cover her nightgown, yawning. "You guys sure are loud, I—"

Malon broke off with a soft cry when she saw Wes. She took a step back. "Is that...is that...?"

"Nah, he's all right," Saria said, and was forced to once again tell the story of what had happened.

She was _really_ getting tired of this.

"Oh," Malon said quietly, when Saria was through.

_This wasn't how I wanted to meet her,_ Wes thought miserably. _She's really pretty, and she seems so nice. Now she thinks I'm out to...well, she's got the wrong idea. I'd _never_ try and do something like that._

"Hi," Malon said awkwardly.

"Hi," said Wes, his tone of voice matching hers.

Johan and Kylia exchanged a skeptical glance.

"Guess I'll be going," Wes said awkwardly, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"Oh no you won't," Kylia said, while at the same time Saria broke in, "But you don't have anywhere to go!"

"I can go home," Wes said uneasily, avoiding Kylia's gaze. "Kakariko isn't so far away."

"You are not walking all the way to Kakariko," Saria said stubbornly.

"You're not leaving my eyesight until I think I trust you," Kylia growled menacingly. "By blood Ganondorf is my father, and I hate him with every fiber of my being. I'm not taking _any_ chances!"

Wes blinked. This girl was Ganondorf's daughter, yet Link still saw fit to hang around with her?

Weird.

Either Link was crazy, or she was Ganondorf's complete opposite.

If he had known Link, he would have said both. But he decided on the latter.

"I didn't _do_ anything!" Wes said. "I just got used. Someone else was controlling everything I did, but I didn't mean to do it. It wasn't my fault."

Johan saw Kylia's features, which had been formed into a hard, merciless frown, soften a bit, and knew she was remembering when her body had been controlled by the witches Koume and Kotake.

She hadn't done anything. She got used. Someone else was controlling everything she did, but she didn't mean to do it. It wasn't her fault.

Kylia's gaze found the floor.

"You shouldn't be blamed for what another forced you to do," she murmured. "I'm sorry."

Wes blinked again. What?

Johan wasn't quite as ready to trust Wes. He wanted to, but he had his promise to keep. He couldn't afford to be wrong.

"Can he stay here tonight?" Malon asked. "He shouldn't have to go all the way back to Kakariko,; that's a long walk and he doesn't have a weapon."

"Yes," Johan said, a bit warily. "He can stay as long as he needs to. But won't your folks be worried about you?"

Wes just shook his head, he didn't feel like discussing his home life with an audience.

"All right, then," Johan said, a bit more warmly, seeing that something about the kid's parents troubled him. "Go ahead up the left stairs, first on the right."

"Thanks," Wes muttered, and he walked slowly up the stairs, feeling the eyes of four people follow him.

"He seems nice," Malon murmured from the other staircase.

"Yeah," Kylia said. "I could get over him being possessed."

"I trust him," Saria said.

"I don't," said Johan.

- - -

Link and Tatl were still only for a minute after Zelda left. Then they both shouted, "Hey!" and sped up to catch up with her.

"That's what you get for acing like a pair of three year olds!" Zelda snapped.

"I didn't do anything, she just won't translate right," Link said indignantly.

"Link says he thinks you're perfect, and he'd _love_ to get to know you better."

Link and Zelda both glared at Tatl. Link was still having trouble walking; and he swore when his knees locked up. It took a minute for them to work properly again. The wooden body was difficult to maneuver.

"Tatl," Zelda said. "You're going to have to translate correctly. Otherwise...."

Zelda summoned all the energy she could and blasted a hole in a nearby wall. Then she began walking again. Link and Tatl stared after her once more, then followed.

"Maybe it isn't as much as _you've_ seen, I'm sure," Zelda said when they caught up, smiling sweetly. "But that wall will be you should you mistranslate Link's words again. Never underestimate the power of the Triforce."

"Triforce?" Tatl gasped. "Like...that thing the Goddesses made? It's real?"

"Of course!" Zelda said. "Why would you think otherwise?"

"No reason," Tatl said. "It's just that Termina doesn't know about Hyrule, or the Goddesses, for the most part, and the people who do know about it are skeptics. The people of Termina, they just have four protectors, called the Giants. The Giants live in the temples, but they only come out when we're in danger. See, a long time ago, there was a native tribe around here, the Ikana, doing all sorts bad stuff. They wore scary masks, and went around burning things and killing people. They were once the most powerful tribe in Termina, and everyone was afraid of them.

"Then their leader disappeared. Without him, they couldn't function. A lot of them, the peaceful ones who didn't want a fight, fled to other lands, probably Hyrule, to live new lives. The ones that didn't fell apart and they were scattered, murdered, beaten, whatever. Even the little kids, because everyone hated them, for what their people had done. The rumors say that their descendants live in the canyon, but no one knows for sure."

"What does that have to do with Giants and Goddesses?"

"I'm getting to that, just wait. When the Ikana were around, everyone was dying. They would have all died, but I think your Goddesses put the Giants here, to protect the worlds they didn't mean to make, when they made Hyrule."

"Weird," Link commented.

"Link wants me to invite you to his room tonight, cause he wants t—" Tatl stopped when Zelda made her hands glow. It was a simple trick she had learned when she was young, to help find her way around in dark places, but Tatl thought it was a death spell and she shut up.

Good thing, too. Zelda did _not_ want her to finish that sentence.

As she kept walking, she felt dizzy. The room seemed to twist around her, doing loops. In front of her it was straight, but when she looked backwards, it made her feel light headed.

She pointed this out to her companions, and they didn't like it anymore than she did, although Tatl said it was normal.

They came to a door, at the end of the twisting hallway. It was made of metal, and looked heavier than a Goron. Zelda jumped as it began to open of its own accord.

"Okay," she said, mostly to herself.

They walked up a narrow flight of stairs, into a dark, musty room. There was a set of big wooden doors on one side, and a crack of gray light shone through. Was it dawn already? Zelda could have sworn, that only a few minutes ago, it had been getting dark...surely, the night hadn't passed that quickly....

"Time is altered when one travels between worlds, is it not, princess?"

Zelda jumped and turned around. Standing there was a man with red hair, and a sack full of masks on his back. Tatl recognized him as the man they had stolen the mask from and she flew to hide behind Link.

"Who are you?" Link asked.

"My name is not important, but my profession is selling masks, collecting rare ones and trading them for better deals. I believe your friend there has something that belongs to me."

Link's jaw hit the floor. He had talked out of habit, but this man had understood him.

"Ah, but I can understand Deku. I know that you are not in your usual form, am I correct?"

"Yeah," Link said uneasily.

"What?" said Zelda. "What's he saying?"

"Shh, tell you in a sec," Tatl said.

"If your friend gives back the mask, I will change you back. But...ah, I am leaving town in no less than three days, and after then I'm not sure you'll know where to find me...."

"First of all, she is not my friend," Link said, shooting a glare at Tatl. "Secondly, she doesn't have the mask, either. Her friend does."

"What about your ocarina?" the man inquired.

Link's jaw dropped again. At least, it would have, had his mouth not been a snout.

"We took it out of the saddlebags," Tatl said. "Maclar's got it."

"Very well," said the man. "Bring me the mask back, and I can use your ocarina to change you into a human again. Remember, you only have three days."

"That isn't very fair," Zelda said. "How are we supposed to track down that skull kid?"

"He leaves a path of violence, wherever he goes," the mask man said. "Just have faith...."

"Whatever," said Link.

"Whatever," Zelda said, rolling her eyes, not realizing Link had just said the same thing.

"Copycat," Link said.

Zelda stared at him. "What did you say?"

Link just shook his head. Zelda opened the huge wooden doors and stepped out into the dawn.

"Welcome," said Tatl, "To Termina. Better yet, welcome to Clocktown."

Zelda walked three paces into the town square and spun around slowly, trying to take it all in at once. The sights, the sounds, the smells—they were just like the Market.

There was only one thing that was different. Very different.

When Zelda turned her face towards the sun and opened her eyes, something was staring back at her. That something was a face, a huge evil face, and it was plastered onto the moon, which was grinning sinisterly at her.

"Aye, scary, isn't it?" said a passing stranger. "Don't worry about it, though, it's just the moon. It's a bit close, this year, but there's no reason to panic. Don't you listen to them blokes at the mayor's office."

"Why? What do they say?" Zelda asked, horrified. Link and Tatl were now staring at the moon too, gaping wordlessly.

"Them idiots? They reckon it's gonna fall, in three days time!"

**AN:** Ack, well, I finally got to Termina. Nothing good though. I did a bad job on this chapter, the flow is so broken and scattered and rushed. Anyway, thanks for the reveiws! n.n Now I respond, then I go to sleep. (I have a weird habot of posting my stuff in the wee hours of the morning. Weird. Oo')

**LinkDragon:** Um, the summary states that's an MM adapt. Has since I started the story.  
**GinTsuki:** You updated! Yay! I could cry! :')  
**GerudoPrincess:** Heh, if I didn't like Link so much it would have been much more vulgar. I almost laughed while writing it. The idea just seems so typical. nn'  
**Link, SSB, and Yu-Gi-Oh Fan:** Thankies!  
**yo:** Oo' Wtf.  
**blood red stain:** Lol, it took ages, didn't it? Sorry. ;-;  
**Blowfish the Monkey Tamer:** Lol, I laughed when I read that. Tatl IS rude. I swear you'll hate her after just a few more chapters. She is EVIL.  
**ShadowShard:** Wah, it WAS in the skull kid's hands....sorry. I was orginally gonna do it another way but none of the plot twists I came up with were cool enough, so I just bit the bullet and followed the game on that'un, sorry. ;-;  
**Greki:** Tatl is ten times more annoying than she is in the game. Evil fairy. EVIL.  
**Pretty Kitty Fairy:** Lol, I'm keeping my mouth shut for now, but Zel isn't the only one of Link's friends who pop up in Termina....  
**Hikari no Purinsessu:** Heh, wait till you see what he DOES for her birthday. I'm seriously thinkin' of chanign the genre to humor...I didn't realize I could write it so much, y'know? I'm going to have so much fun making people STARE at them....

Anyways, that's all, so as I am sleepy, I'll thank you for reading, and I'm off to bed! Thanks, and please reveiw!


	7. Chapter Six: A New Arrival

**Author's Notes:** This will be the last chap for awhile, as I start school Tuesday, and if another chap doesn't get done before then, then we'll be going months (yes, with an s ;-; ) between updates. ;-; Oh well. Enjoy this anyway, even though it's still slightly disjointed.

Chapter Six: A New Arrival

Wes was awakened by someone small and green poking him. Saria.

"Wake up," she said. "Time for breakfast."

Wes groaned. He did _not_ want to get up. He still had four sages to meet, plus Malon's father.

"Today is not my idea of a picnic," Wes said. "Can't I just sleep until it's over?"

"Sorry," said Saria. "But no. C'mon, get up, you'll like the food, Johan's a good cook."

"He doesn't like me."

"He can't trust you," Saria said sadly. "Because he promised to keep Malon safe. There's a big difference. C'mon, just get up, it won't be that bad."

"Then why don't _you_ try getting on the bad side of the rest of the Sages of Hyrule?" Wes asked wryly.

Saria put a finger to her chin, thinking. Then she left the room. Wes stared after her a second, then let his head drop back onto the pillow. He closed his eyes, just wanting to go back to sleep.

Saria stalked down the stairs and looked around in the front room. She found a pitcher of water on one of the tables and a slow grin spread across her face. Kylia and Malon, who were sitting at the table, gave her odd looks as she rushed back upstairs with it. Moments later, they heard a splash, a yell of surprise, and some loud giggling. Saria ran back downstairs, replaced the now empty pitcher of water, and sat down to eat her breakfast with a mischievous smile on her face, not saying a word.

Ten minutes later, Wes appeared at the top of the left staircase, completely dry, but with a look on his face that sent Saria into another giggle fit. Wes glared at her, and slouched over to an empty table, took a pitcher of orange juice there, and poured himself a glass. He drank it in silence.

Malon looked at him sitting at the table all alone, then exchanged a look with Saria. Malon picked up her plate and glass and walked over to the table he was at and sat down across from him.

"What're you doing over here by yourself?" she asked. "Doesn't that get boring?"

Her tone of voice was just a bit too cheerful. Wes shrugged. "Didn't know if I was allowed over there or not. I know Johan will be coming up soon, and he doesn't like me one bit."

"Oh, lighten up," Malon said gently. "He's just a little paranoid. He'll get over it."

"We can only hope," Wes said wryly.

"Aren't you hungry?" Malon asked.

"Not really."

Malon stuck her tongue out at him. He laughed a little and did the same.

"Go downstairs," Malon said, grabbing him by the arm and standing up, "and get some breakfast. That is an order."

She walked him to the bookcase and opened it, then pushed him in. Wes raised his eyes upward for a moment, but went down the stairs anyway.

"Hello?" he called.

"In here," came Johan's voice. Wes looked to the right, towards the source, and found a doorway that lead to a tiny kitchen.

"Hi," Wes said. "Malon told me I had to come down here to get breakfast. I'm serious, she actually pushed me in here."

Johan laughed. "She can be like that sometimes."

The conversation with Johan went quite normally, to Wes's great relief. The noise upstairs increased as they talked, which meant that other guests were getting up. Johan didn't offer breakfast to everyone, however, just the "family", so no one came downstairs. Because of all the commotion upstairs, Johan asked Wes if he wanted to eat downstairs, and Wes jumped at the chance. He didn't like a lot of noise in the mornings.

"I heard your wake up call," Johan said, smiling, sitting down on a worn red couch. Wes sat down across from him, in a huge fluffy red armchair.

"Yeah, I coulda killed her for that," Wes said, but a smile was on his face. "I get the feeling that happens a lot around here, though."

Johan laughed. "Good guess! Normally it's someone waking Link up, or Link waking someone else up. It caught on, though, and now everybody wakes everybody else up."

Wes grinned. "Sounds fun." Then his smile faded. "I gotta ask you something."

"Shoot."

"Well...why did you change your mind? Last night, it seemed like you couldn't stand me, and now you're being normal."

Johan sighed, looking a bit angry at himself. "Well...it's a little hard to explain. Link made me promise to keep Malon safe, because he thought you were somehow Ganondorf, and he didn't want anything to happen to his only blood relative."

"Understandable," said Wes, then he paused. "She's really his only family?"

"I said blood relative. Around here, this huge group you haven't even met yet, we're all family. The sages, Malon, Talon, Kylia and her friends, everybody. Anyway...."

"Yeah?"

"Last night after you went upstairs I started thinking. I'm the type of person who keeps a promise, do or die. But I'm not the type of person to hold a grudge. Lots of people need second chances, including people who actually _did_ something," Johan said, and Wes smiled a little. "I suppose as long as you don't try and murder one of us while we're sleeping you can stay here any time you like, as long as you like, and I wouldn't give Ganondorf that for the world. He killed me, you know."

Wes's eyes widened. "You were one of the people who were revived?"

"No, I wish I was. Link wasted a wish on me, bringing me back to life."

"Nice of him. How'd you meet Link, anyway?"

A simple question. Innocent, too. But it certainly did have a complicated answer.

"Well," said Johan, "I actually met him three times. Once when he was born, once when he was ten, and once when he was seventeen."

"Serious?"

"Yes, I am. He disappeared when he was about four months old, I thought he had died," Johan said.

"Why?"

"Well, it's a little complicated. His parents were my best friends. About that time, they died in a war that was going on...I thought Link had died with them. Tore my world apart. Sam—Link's father—had always let me stay at his house if my parents didn't feel like having me around, which they usually didn't."

Wes drooped a bit.

"I can relate," he said.

"I thought as much," Johan said lightly. "You didn't seem too happy about your folks when I asked last night."

"Not really," Wes said. It was odd, Wes thought. Last night this man hadn't trusted him at all and now they had something they could both relate to. This guy was all right.

"Anyway, I thought Link had died, but he hadn't. His mother had gotten him to the forest where he lived until he was about ten. But since I was so sure he was dead, and since I had pretty much put it behind me, I thought I was losing my mind when he almost literally showed up on my doorstep at ten."

Wes laughed. "This is rich. What was your first clue?"

"His name, for a start. And his eyes. The only living person who has eyes like Link's is Malon. They're related through Link's father and Malon's mother. You know they didn't even know until a few months ago?"

"Wow." Wes decided he liked hearing Johan talk about Link, and Malon, too. He acted as if they were his kids, and he was the father. He acted that way around Kylia too, and Wes thought it was...well, nice.

Wes and Johan talked until almost eleven, and even played a game of Majalan, which Johan won. Wes learned a lot of things; how Johan had met Kylia, how he had become a cloaked stranger for seven years, and how he had added onto th Inn so that it looked like it did. Johan, on the other hand, learned a lot of things as well. Wes was mostly a loner; however, he was friends with Kara, a girl in Kakariko that Johan knew through Link, and that he sometimes stayed with her family if things got violent around his house. He also learned that Wes's father had left home when Wes was a year old, to fight in the infamous Wars, and had been killed, which was why his mother remarried.

When they came back upstairs, Malon told Johan that she ought to go home. Johan agreed, and Wes offered to walk her back.

"If it's okay with Johan," he said, a bit awkwardly.

"Go on, then," Johan said. "Just be back for lunch."

"Okay," said Wes, and he and Malon walked out the door.

Johan stretched and yawned; it had been a long day thus far. He still felt a bit wary about letting Wes and Malon go to the ranch alone, but he was pretty sure Ganondorf wouldn't come back for Wes any time soon, if at all.

"So you changed your mind, huh?"

Johan jumped. Kylia had snuck up behind him while he was brooding, something she did a lot that never failed to deliver the desired reaction; a startled jump from Johan.

"You know I hate that," Johan said, slightly irritated.

"Yeah...look, I gotta tell you something," she added flatly.

"What's that?"

"I'm leaving."

Johan frowned. "Come again?"

"Going after Link," Kylia said, gesturing to a small pack on her shoulder. She opened it to reveal a rope, a canteen, and a bag that had one meal in it. She had her scimitars on her back.

"Are you sure you know where to go?"

"No, which why I'm taking Saria with me, as far as the Skull Kid Hideout. She told me she would be waiting at the village, and I don't see her anywhere so I guess she left already. Anyway, I wanted to tell you I was going so you wouldn't worry," Kylia said.

"But why? Don't you think Link can handle himself in the Lost Woods?"

Kylia's dark brown eyes darkened even further. "He might not be in the woods anymore, from what Wes has told us. And anyway, I am _not_ going to sit around and do nothing this time. Last time I stayed holed up in that stupid temple for four damn years, and before that it was Gerudo Valley. I won't let it happen again. I'm going to help get rid of him, wherever he is, whatever it takes, and to do that I have to find Link. Ganondorf left Wes at the Lost Woods anyway, so he might be around there."

"Well, if you do find Link and Zelda, play chaperone for me, would you? Two teenagers alone in the woods with just Navi to look after them doesn't seem very safe to me."

Kylia grinned. "Sure."

"Be careful, okay?" Johan said.

"I will. Try not to worry about me too much. This...this is just something I have to do, you know?"

Johan nodded. He understood all too well her need to help lock away Ganondorf. He had spent those four years that she had been trapped in the temple with her, visiting her a lot, just so she could have company. He would never forget how Kylia kept calling herself useless, or telling him that she felt trapped.

She did _not_ like being trapped, imprisoned. In any way, be it emotionally, physically, or in any other form.

She had to go. She wouldn't be able to live with herself otherwise.

Johan and Kylia embraced, and then Kylia headed out the door.

- - -

"_Fall?_" Zelda asked, hands still over her mouth. "Are you sure?"

"Lass, it ain't gonna fall, there's no reason to get fussed." The man received no response, so he huffed and walked away.

Zelda turned to Link and Tatl. "Do you _see_ that thing? Tatl, is it always like this?"

"Well, technically, the moon in Termina is the same one you see in Hyrule. However, Hyrule and Termina are so far away that people have to travel by the dimension warp, like we did, the major difference being we can't go back because you can't fly. Anyway, the moon is very close to Termina, but it's so far away from Hyrule that even when it's turned right, you can't see the face, and it's hardly visible at daytime. S'why some people call this place '_Su'ahn Tamehki_,' which, translated, means '_dwelling of the moon_.'"

"So...so it's always this close?"

"No, not always. Most times it's a lot further away, but it's normal to get really close around this time of year. Course, it could be falling, Maclar said he had a surprise for us...I don't think he'll _really_ do it, though."

"Zel," Link said. "Zel, we have to get Navi and get out of here _now._"

Tatl translated (correctly, with a frightened glance at Zelda's hands) and Zelda just sighed.

"Link, we have to change you back first. You can't live like this."

"I know. Damn that stupid skull kid! And damn you too, Tatl, for letting him do this to me."

Tatl just glared at him angrily.

"Why don't we just look around?" Zelda suggested. "We can ask people if they've seen the skull kid."

"I'm telling you he won't do it!" said Tatl. "He doesn't have the guts. He can't kill an entire world."

Something strange happened to Link then. His right hand began to itch terribly, and someone spoke inside his head. He didn't recognize the voice, couldn't even tell if was young or old, male or female. It didn't communicate in words, but Link got the message loud and clear, in one brief nanosecond.

"He _can_ kill an entire world. He did it before, didn't he? You were there, and you saw it happen."

"Excuse me?" Zelda said, turning around. "Did someone say something?"

"What?" asked Tatl. "Yeah, I just said he can't kill an entire world."

"But he _can_," said the voice. "Be warned; to underestimate his power will prove to be fatal for you and your loved ones."

"See!" Zelda said. "I'm not crazy, didn't you hear that?"

"I heard it," Link said.

"I didn't, but Link says he did," Tatl said.

"I couldn't understand what the voice said," Zelda mused. "But there was definitely someone telling me something."

"I understood it," Link said. "Wonder why that was, though."

"Dunno," said Tatl.

Clock Town was as bustling and as busy as the Market, but the two looked nothing alike. The Market was small and cramped, while Clock Town was a bit roomier. Several stalls and shops were set up in the area in front of the Clock Tower, and there was loud banging from the hammers of several carpenters, building what looked like tall towers. Link had no idea what they were for, just that this place was busy. Very busy.

"Don't know what?" Zelda asked, looking up at the moon again.

"Don't know why he could understand it and you couldn't."

"You could understand it? What did it say?"

Link began walking unsteadily towards a nearby staircase, just to have something to do other than stand there, cursing his wooden body. He explained what the voice had said, with only a few vulgar mistranslations to Zelda.

"Tatl," Zelda said, "has the skull kid ever tried something like this before?"

"Nah," said Tatl, flying behind Link. "We always get into lots of trouble, but he never kidded himself into thinking he was gonna blow a whole world up before."

"I'm telling you," the voice whispered at the back of Link's mind. "I'm telling you, he'll do it. Don't listen to her."

Link drew in his breath sharply. "Zelda, did you hear it that time?"

"Link says someone's talking to him in his head again," said Tatl, "and the nutcase wants me to ask you if you heard it too."

"No," said Zelda, frowning.

"Cause they were whispering," Link muttered. "Cheater."

Tatl giggled.

- - -

"Are you sure?" Zelda asked.

"Yes," said the woman she was talking to. She had dark red hair, and bright green eyes. She was wearing a very plain dress, and she looked just a bit younger than Kylia. Zelda had been questioning her about the whereabouts of the skull kid, but as it turned out, she didn't know anything. That had been her luck all morning.

"I'm sorry," said the woman, who was quick to apologize. "Please come again."

Zelda thanked her and headed out of the inn. She waited at the door for Tatl and Link to come back, as they had split up to question more people at once. They had both turned up nothing.

"We ought to try talking to the kids," Tatl said. "They're too dammed honest for their own good, and Maclar wouldn't bother to hide from them."

"If you say so," said Zelda. She spotted a group of small children clustered around a candy stall, and waited until they had finished buying. Then she went up to them.

"Excuse me," she said. The boys, all about seven or eight, looked up.

"Lady we're not s'posed to talk to strangers," said one of the children. He was wearing a blue cap, turned backwards so that a tuft of brown hair poked out.

"I just want to ask you one thing," Zelda said. "I'm not going to do anything mean. Do you know of a skull kid, wearing a mask, running around here?"

The boys remained silent, until one in a red cap spoke. "We seen him. Don't know where he is now. But we know how you can find out. There's an observatory, with a really cool telescope, to look at things. The man down there lets you look whenever you want. To get through the secret tunnel, though you need a code, to unlock the door."

"Okay," said Zelda. "Can you tell me the code?"

"Um, would you hold on a minute?" the kid asked. Zelda nodded and walked a few paces away. A moment later, the children waved her back.

"Well?" she asked.

"Are those your friends?" the kid asked, pointing to Link and Tatl.

"Yes," Zelda said slowly. Tatl wasn't, but that would take too long to explain.

"Okay," said the kid. "You and your friends have to find all five of us, before we tell you the code. We're gonna hide all over town. If you don't find us before we have to go home and go to bed, though, then you don't get another chance. Okay?"

Zelda rolled her eyes and sighed. "All right," she said. She didn't have a choice.  
  
Zelda went over to Link and Tatl and explained what was going on, while the boys hid.

"Damn, I hate kids," Tatl said.

- - -

Wes walked back to the In lost in thought. He had just walked Malon home, met Talon, and nearly gotten killed. He knew he would look back on it later and find it funny, but right now he just found it embarrassing.

"You get away from my daughter," Talon had said, the minute he laid eyes on Wes. He had walked over to Malon in a flash, red-faced, and it had taken ten minutes for Malon to calm him down and convince him that Wes was a normal person, after which he had delivered an awkward apology, and Wes had started back to the Inn.

He saw Kakariko on the way back, and he considered going back home to tell his mother where he was.

He didn't want to. But he knew if he stayed away from home long enough, she would worry eventually.

With a sigh, Wes started towards home. It didn't take him long to get to the peaceful village, and stopped to talk to a few people on the way to his house.

He entered without knocking, when he got there. It was a dingy gray house, near the graveyard, but Wes didn't mind its looks or location; he liked it, except for the people living in it.

"Mom?" he called.

"Yes, hon?" Wes's mother was in the kitchen, fixing lunch.

Wes didn't even go to the kitchen; just went to his room and got a backpack with a few sets of clothes in it. Johan had said he could stay whenever he wanted, as long as he wanted, and Wes decided to make good use of the offer.

"I'm going to a friend's house for a few days, maybe even a week. That all right?" Wes called as he packed his things.

"Sure, baby," his mother called back. "If that makes you happy. I just wish you would stay home more often, I miss you sometimes."

"I miss you too, Mom," Wes muttered, as he walked out the door.

He walked back to the Inn quickly, hating his mother for marrying someone who made his life so unpleasant he couldn't even be at home anymore. The trip didn't take long, but clouds started to gather quickly, and by the time he had made it to the Inn, he was soaked with rain.

The front room was empty. Wes sighed and took his things upstairs, changed into some dry clothes for the second time that day, and went back downstairs. He still didn't find anyone, so he found a book and a chair and began to read.

Someone walked into the Inn, but Wes didn't notice, because he was so absorbed in the book. The same someone gasped a little, but again, Wes noticed nothing. They crept up behind him and put a sword at his back.

Wes yelped in surprise, having been jerked out of the book too quickly. He jumped up from the chair, which turned out to be a mistake, for he received a long scratch on his back. He whirled around, wincing, to find the same sword at his chest. He backed away out of reflex and fell over a wooden chair. Both he and the chair hit the floor loudly and painfully.

"Geez, lady, are you trying to kill me?" Wes shouted.

"Maybe," said the woman holding the sword. It was long and thin, but extremely sharp. Wes felt some blood trickle down his back.

The woman herself had white hair and red eyes. She was dressed in black, with armor covering the main part of her body. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun. She had a look on her face that meant trouble, and Wes didn't dare move further. His brown eyes showed his fear.

"What on earth is going on up here?" came a voice from the bookcase. Wes didn't dare look to see who it was, but he recognized the voice as Johan's.

"Johan, she's trying to kill me!"

A muttered "uh-oh," was heard, then footsteps.

"Impa, he's okay, let him go."

"Are you insane?" the woman asked.

"No, I'm not. He was being possessed at the party. Just let the poor kid go and we'll explain everything."

Impa glared down at Wes. "Zelda hasn't come back yet, she was supposed to be home last night. Her father and I are worried sick and if something happened to her, I'll have you to blame—"

"You will not," Johan interrupted. "He's a normal person, just let him go and I'll tell you what happened."

"Tell me what happened first. Then I might let him go."

- - -

"Where is that stupid brat, anyway?" Tatl said.

Link, Zelda, and Tatl had managed to track down four boys. The last, however, the one with the red cap, was proving to be difficult.

"You think we should start asking around?" Zelda asked wearily. "I'm tired of these games."

"Sure," said Tatl. She flew off to look somewhere else, and bumped into a woman with bright orange hair and a tan complexion.

"Hey, watch where you're going, stupid!" Tatl said. The woman swore at her, and Tatl flew higher, to get a bird's eye view. Nothing.

"Excuse me," Zelda said to a passing man, "Have you by chance seen a little kid in a red hat?"

"No, miss, sorry."

"Damn," Zelda cursed under her breath. She kicked a pebble and wandered aimlessly.

Someone bumped into her while she was looking at the ground. Zelda looked up to see who it was.

"Oh, sorry—" the person said, then stopped, their eyes wide.

"Zelda?"

"Oh my Goddesses, how did you get here?"

"That," said Kylia, "Is a long story."  
  
**AN:** Hah, bet you didn't see that coming. Btw, if anyone wants to check it out, I started a new story on and no one will read it, if anyone cares. (Which they don't.) Anyways thank you for the revews, which I wil respond to now.

**Greki:** No one trsuts him at ALL, and he still has several sages to meet. I pity him.  
**DiscoDude7:** Well, I'll try. nn;  
someone: Glad you think so. nn;  
**Link, SSB, and Yu-Gi-Oh Fan:** I know it's mixed up. ;-; Drives me crazy. To anyone reading this, I think I'm losing my touch. ;-;  
**Blowfish the Monkey Tamer:** Well, not between AJEM and Malon, but I'm assuming you put that for no-spoiler purposes, for which Liz is grateful. Anyway, to answer your question: Do I hate George Bush? (Yes.)  
**Hikari no Purinsesu:** No, not all bad. But close. Far too close.  
**ShadowShard:** I don't think I've ever mentioned how much I love your reveiws. You are the only person who reveiws every single time with a full paragraph. n.n I know I sound weird, but yeah. Anyways, don't worry about Link, I have my plans for him. ::cackles::  
**LinkDragon:** Wow. I feel honored.  
**Pretty Kitty Fairy:** Lol, you want an evil fairy? Would you still want her if you were a scrub? Didn't think so. :p

Anyways, I'ma tired, so I'm going to bed. Please reveiw!  
  
**EDIT:** As a side note, does anyone know where I can find a good MM ROM? I searched the net for hours and came up with zilch.


	8. Chapter Seven: Night of the First Day

**Author's Notes: **Wah! It's so short! And it took so long! I just ended very abruptly because I wasn't getting anywhere at ALL, you know? ;-; Anyway, I found an AWESOME MM music vid, go to and look a few updates it down, and there it is. I forgot how awesome the Kafei/Anju sidequest was. Speaking of sidequests, I know I can't write them all, so which three should I do? (One spot is filled with the K/A sidequest, and another with the Romani Ranch one.) Anyways, I'm so sorry this took ages and was so damn short, but hopefully I'll get back int he groove soon, I reall am losing my touch. It's mostly just school.

Also! (And I know I should save this for later, but....)

I am enraged at the FF staff for taking down the humor stories of Blowfish. That was completely unfair! I know they were in script format, but Goddesses damn it all, there are TONS of stories like that! Why did THOSE get taken down!?

Anyways, sorry to rant, please enjoy the super short chapter.

Chapter Seven: Night of the First Day

"I'm telling you I don't know what happened to Zelda!" Wes said. "The last time I saw her she and Link were running after that skull kid in the Lost Woods. I _swear_ that's all I know!"

Wes had been explaining this for some time, but Impa was like a mother to Zelda, and he had discovered in the last half hour that worried mothers were not people to cross.

Not that he did anything, except get possessed.

"Impa, let him go," Johan said. "We both told you all we know. If Zelda is with Link, I'm sure she's fine."

"Get up, then," Impa growled at Wes, removing her sword.

Wes scrambled to his feet, and turned back to place the chair back on its legs, but saw it was broken. "Sorry," he muttered to Johan.

"Don't worry about it," Johan said. He walked over to the bookcase and opened it, calling, "I've probably burned my toast by now, so I'd appreciate it if we could continue acting like fools downstairs."

Wes edged away from Impa as they went down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"So if you're _so damn sure_ he's not Ganondorf," Impa said, and Wes backed away by another pace. "Who _is_ he?"

"We went over this already," Wes muttered. "My name is Wes, I am a perfectly harmless kid who lives in Kakariko who got possessed by Ganondorf's spirit or whatever. And no, I haven't ever met Link or Zelda in my life, until after I woke up in the Lost Woods. And maybe if I wasn't _so damn harmless_ I wouldn't have gotten possessed."

"And you're sure the last time you saw Link and Zelda, they were together?"

"Yes."

"Hasn't anyone gone to look for them?"

"Kylia has," Johan answered, "But she might not be back for some time. Impa, I'm sure Zelda is okay, Link will look out for her."

Impa opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off. "Yes, I told Kylia to make sure they kept their hands off of each other, thank you."

Impa closed her mouth furiously.

Johan laughed.

"Don't," Impa snapped. "I am _worried_. What with Ganondorf on the loose and her not here by my side, don't I have a right to be?"

She had hit home, and opened a worry that Johan had been trying his best to suppress. What if Ganondorf was out there, wherever Link was? Johan was Link's legal guardian, but he was also like a father to him in many ways, one of which was that he worried over Link constantly.

What if Ganondorf was lurking out there, waiting until Link was vulnerable to strike? Was he even out there, or were they over reacting? Was Link all right, wherever he was? What if Ganondorf had already found him?

Questions buzzed painfully through Johan's mind. Link meant a lot to him. He didn't want to lose Link like he had lost Sam and Alanai. He didn't know if he was strong enough for that. He didn't know if he could handle that much pain.

If something happened to Link, and he never saw him again....

"Yes," said Johan, a small tremor in his voice. "You do."

- - -

"I'm so glad to see you!" Zelda cried.

She and Kylia hugged. Then Kylia stepped back and looked around.

"Where the hell are we, and where are Link and Navi?"

"I can only answer one question. We're in Clock Town, in a land called Termina. Kylia, look up."

Kylia did so and gasped. "What is _that_?"

"The moon. Which is going to fall and kill everyone here in three days. Including Navi, if we don't get her back."

"Get her back?"

Zelda explained the situation while walking around, looking for Link and Tatl.

"There's just one tiny little thing I forgot to mention," Zelda said. "Aah, Link's been, um...."

"Yes?"

"He was transformed into something...not human...by the skull kid."

"Like what?" Kylia whispered.

"A...a Deku Scrub."

"Excuse me?"

- - -

Navi growled in frustration. She could, from where she was, see Link, Zelda, and another fairy, called Tatl. She watched them as they played games with children, and every so often, she would yell out to Link, but every time she did, the skull kid laughed and told her it was no use. She was trapped inside a bottle, a very durable bottle, which was gripped tightly by the skull kid. The only one who would talk to her was Tael, a purple fairy who was very shy, and he was shut up quickly if caught.

She could see Link from her position because her position just so happened to be on top of the Clock Tower. She supposed he couldn't see the skull kid from where he was, or he would have followed. She sighed, feeling helpless and lonely.

"Why are you keeping me here?" Navi demanded.

The skull kid glared at her through the mask. "Quiet."

"No! I want to know what you need me for."

Silence fell, except for the distant sounds of the people below, unaware of the fate before them. The skull kid inhaled deeply.

"I hate breathing. Breathing gives things life, makes people joyful, gives them reason to celebrate. No one should celebrate. They shouldn't have a reason to be happy. But ever since Link showed up, they've been...throwing parties. Laughing. Having fun. For no reason. It is...disgusting."

Navi was surprised at how hardened the skull kid's voice was. It was as if he cared for nothing. Not even his own happiness.

"People," he breathed. "Such idiots. They don't know pain. They go about their daily lives, not suffering at all, or caring for the people who are."

"That's not true!" Navi said angrily, banging on her glass prison. "You're just a mentally challenged _asshole_!"

"I said be quiet."

"I said no."

"Maclar," Tael said hesitantly, "Why don't we just let her go? We don't need her for anything...."

"Shut up. We need her. It's telling me we do."

"What's telling you?" Navi asked, her tone of voice quite different, almost as if she didn't want to know.

Maybe if she got some information out of this guy, it could be useful in the future, if she was freed....

If.

"This mask. It tells me everything I need to do to make them suffer. It wants Link just as badly as I do. He makes people happy. He can be killed with the rest of them."

"Killed?" Navi gasped.

"Have you not looked at the sky? Can't you see it?"

"The moon," Navi quietly. "So...it's going to fall. You're actually gonna to do it, huh? Become a murderer? Do you realize you'll have to live with this for the rest of your _life_? I don't think you do!" Navi shouted angrily.

"It doesn't matter," the skull kid said. "I'm going to die with them. The rest of my life will span three days." A harsh, bitter, bark of laugher sounded from the skull kid.

Navi quieted, horrified. She had only seen a suicidal person once; and that was Link, when he was a mere nine years old. He had gone through a phase where he cried in the mornings when he woke up, cried himself to sleep at night, and cried during the day, over little things that meant nothing. Saria had almost lost him several times; one particularly painful memory was when he picked a fight with Mido, hoping to be killed, but Saria had broke it up before either person could take too much damage. There was another time when he had stood on a ledge in Kokiri Village, just crying, for half an hour, before Saria found him and took him back home, but his words to himself had told Navi what he was thinking at the time. Yet she had only been able to watch then, because of her orders from the Deku Tree....

Navi growled in frustration. No way was she going to let this stupid skull kid kill everything.

"Can't you talk some sense into him?" Navi shouted to Tael. "If he does this, you'll die too...your sister will _die_. Everyone will! Do you want that? _Do_ you?"

"N-no," Tael stuttered. "But I—I can't...."

Tael trailed off, uncertain what to say. He did not want to die. He didn't want Tatl to die. He didn't want anyone to die. But he couldn't do anything, he had never known life without Tatl, and now that she was gone, all he had was the skull kid. Without the two of them he was nothing, he knew.

"Link, hurry, please, hurry," Navi pleaded under her breath.

She was afraid for her life. For the lives of everyone in this world. But most of all, she was afraid for the lives of Link and Zelda.

"Link, hurry, hurry...."

- - -

Tatl and Link were doing a poor job of finding the final kid. He was, in fact, following them around, but they didn't seem to notice, mostly due to the fact that they were busy bickering. Tatl would say something similar to, "Why haven't you found that kid yet? You're supposed to be the almighty hero here!"

Link would then swear creatively, causing Tatl to gasp and say, "You leave my mother out of this, you swine!"

The kid following them would snicker to himself, but they never even noticed.

Nor did they notice when the sound of Zelda's voice grew near.

"There they are! Hey, guys! Link! Hello?"

Link, who had been letting his mind wander, looked over at Zelda and gave a gasp that sounded more like a squeak, issuing from his Deku body. Standing next to Zelda was Kylia, who looked at him with utter amazement.

"Link?" she asked.

"Sadly, yes, but why the hell do I care that you can't understand one damn word I say?"

"What did he say?"

"Aah, dammit...."

"He speaks Deku only," Zelda said. "That's all he can get to come out of his mouth. Tatl here is our translator, and I'm sure she'll do it correctly, right Tatl?"

Tatl nodded mutely. "He said...he said something...something to the effect of...he doesn't care what you say? I don't know, I don't know!" she added frantically to Zelda, when Link started swatting at her. "Link, you moron, you were talking too fast!"

Zelda bit her lip. "Yeah. We're trying to get those kids I told you about, but we can't find the last one."

Kylia gave a quick look around, knowing red was a bright color and would stand out easily, especially to her, with her trained senses. Then she laughed. She walked away from Link and Tatl, who were still bickering.

"Zelda, c'mere."

"What?"

"He's been following you," Kylia said in a low voice, shaking with suppressed laughter. "Look."

Kylia's eyes slid over to the shadows, where the boy was watching them cautiously. In a flash Zelda was up to him and had him by the collar.

"Gotcha!" she said happily. "Okay, you little...what's the code?"

"Lemme go!" the kid squawked. "Gosh, I didn't think you'd find me. See, it's, um, closed today...."

"Excuse me?" Zelda asked. "What's closed?"

"The path. The astronomer guy says we can come see him any time except one day of the week, and that's today. That's why I made you play with us. We were bored, and I didn't think you'd actually find all five of us."

Zelda looked at the child in disbelief. "Perfect! Now what are we going to do until tomorrow? Waste time? Kid, what's the code?"

"Three-four-two-five-one. But you'll still have to wait until tomorrow."

Kylia swore. Then, to the child, she growled, "If I ever see you again I will murder you. Get away from us!"

The kid ran as fast as his legs would carry him. Kylia had a good laugh, even though Zelda thought she was being mean, and they went back to tell Link and Tatl what had happened.

"Ugh. So what are we going to do until tomorrow?" Tatl asked.

"I guess we'll go to the inn and rent two rooms and sleep," said Zelda. "After dinner and a long talk, anyways. I want to know how you got here, Kylia."

"Oh yeah," Kylia said. "Actually, that's a funny story. I let Saria take me as far as the skull kid's place, and then I followed the tracks. But they let out, so I started wandering around, and it sort of got me all by itself...."

- - -

Kylia and Saria made their way silently through the Lost Woods. Neither spoke a word, but the worry was silently taking its toll. Saria knew these woods, yet she had never heard of...of another world.

She had been through so many things. Having to practically be a mother to Link, having to watch him leave her, for what she thought to be forever, being locked up and tortured for a solid year, being trapped in the Forest Temple, and then the Sacred Realm....

But through all of it, she had only known the woods, known them best, better than anyone else. The Lost Woods were her home. But was there something about her home that even she didn't know?

As the Forest Sage, she was practically required to know everything. Unless something beyond her power, beyond her comprehension, put this secret place here to lure people away from Hyrule and into....

Into what?

That was the trouble; she did not know where Link was, what had happened to him. And Kylia wasn't even taking her past the skull kid hideout, in interest for her safety. So she could not find out.

"This is it," Saria said at last. "Wes told me Link took off that way."

Saria pointed in the direction of the horse tracks, which were now very faded.

"Kylia, are you sure I can't come?" Saria pleaded. "I want to find Link. I have to find him."

"I'll find him, one way or another," Kylia said stubbornly. "Don't worry about it."

She noticed an odd look on Saria's face, similar to the one she got when magic kicked in—sage magic, of course, since she absolutely refused to use the inborn powers that she inherited from Ganondorf.

"Something wrong?" Kylia asked, concerned.

"I don't know," Saria said quietly. "I just have a really bad feeling about this. I...it's stupid, but I feel like...like if I don't go now, I might never see him again."

Kylia suppressed a shudder with difficulty. How could Saria know about her nightmare? It wasn't a real nightmare, was it? Link was the one who had prophetic dreams...right?

"You'll see him again," Kylia said, sounding more like she was trying to convince herself. Saria, however, did not notice her tone.

"Oh, I know, but I just...well, you're a sage too, so I guess you know what I mean. Funny feelings, and stuff."

Kylia nodded. "Yeah. But they usually don't turn out to mean much."

Again, she sounded as though she was trying to assure herself instead of Saria. This time, however, Saria caught her tone and gave her an odd look.

"You feel it too." It was not a question.

"I dunno what you're talking about," Kylia said uneasily. She didn't want to scare Saria, and she didn't want to scare herself. She couldn't tell _anyone_ about what she had seen in her dreams. It was too real—too frightening to voice aloud. If she stopped thinking about it, and just forgot, maybe it would go away.

"You do too!" Saria said stubbornly. "You know something bad is going to happen just as well as I do. We have to stop it. I want to go with you."

"No," Kylia said. "Link would never forgive me if something happened to you. You need to stay here, and make sure no one else tries to kill Wes."

Saria chuckled. "Well, you do have a point there. Still, though," she added, becoming serious, "I really do want to go with you. Please?"

Kylia shook her head.

Saria sighed, defeated. She felt such a strong desire to find Link, before something bad happened to him. Little did she know it then, but something bad had already happened to him, and worse things were going to happen any minute.

But no one could possibly know of the real terrors yet to come. No one had any inkling of the death that was soon to overcome them all. No one but Kylia.

And so Saria waved a sad goodbye to Kylia as she departed, neither knowing then the circumstances of when they would next meet.

- - -

"Dammit," Kylia cursed, as a stick cut across her arm. She had been traveling for over an hour, in what seemed like circles, and had several cuts on her arms and face as a result of the thick brush throughout the woods.

She had followed the tracks as far as they went, but after that, it was guesswork. The hoofprints that Epona had made simply vanished, and Kylia was sure something bad happened to the horse, and to Link, Zelda, and Navi, as well.

She had a strong desire to go right, for some reason, but she fought it, because it seemed unnatural. One shouldn't always want to drift towards the same spot for no reason. As she traveled, she went in a circle, and the direction changed. It was her only landmark.

Finally, lost and tired of walking, she followed the feeling. The trees grew darker and darker, until it was pitch black, even at noon. She could see nothing, and it was for this reason she didn't stop herself in time to keep from falling forward into he dark abyss that lay in wait for her.

- - -

"...and after I came around, I got up and walked through this twisty tunnel thing, and ended up in the Clock Tower. There was a weird man in there, and I mean he was scary, like he could read my mind. He told me my friends were waiting for me near the Stock Pot Inn, and sort of vanished. He said to find you in three days, or else. Now I know why."

"Weird, that's how we got here, sort of," Zelda said, munching on a piece of toast. They were at the outdoor diner at the Stock Pot Inn. All the food was cooked in the kitchen, but it was brought up to the roof, which had a large bell on it, along with several tables and chairs. There was a very good view of the Clock Tower from where they were, but if one wanted, they could venture up a ladder and go up another story, to see the town even better.

It reminded Link of the roof at Lon Lon Ranch, and he felt homesick. Strangely, he wasn't hungry, and was glad for it, because he didn't know how he could have eaten the food anyway, through his Deku Scrub snout. He just sat there, watching Zelda, Kylia, and Tatl eat spaghetti, the dish for that night. Tatl only ate one noodle off of Zelda's plate and declared that she was stuffed.

"What do you mean, sort of?" Kylia asked.

"Well, I told you there was a crazy skull kid on the loose. We got here because we were chasing him. And in three days...."

Zelda lifted her eyes to the sky, and looked back down at her food, feeling queasy.

"Don't worry about it, Zel," Link said. "We'll get Navi and get out of here. We'll leave changing the skull kid's mind about crashing the moon to Tatl," Link said pointedly.

"He said you guys would get Navi and get out, and that I'd have to change Maclar's mind on my own. But, I must point out, he won't do it. He's too chicken. I mean, seriously, he's not brave enough or crazy enough to do this. It's not gonna happen. He won't do it, so you guys should quit worrying," Tatl snapped.

"He'll do it all right," said that same voice in the back of Link's mind, very quietly. "Alone, maybe not, but he's not alone anymore, and he'll crash that moon or die trying."

"Dammit, shut up!" Link said to the air. "He's more alone now than ever, isn't he?"

Tatl thought he was speaking to her. "Don't you tell me to shut up! I know Maclar's alone, what does that have to do with it?"

"No—I—never mind," Link muttered, not wanting Tatl to laugh at him anymore, and not being able to do much about it in his Deku body.

"Ooooh, you heard it again, didn't you?" Tatl laughed. "You're crazy."

Link grabbed a fork and threw it at her. It missed.

"What are you two talking about?" Kylia asked, bewildered.

"Link wants to take Zelda to his room and—"

"I'm warning you, Tatl, any more cracks about me and Link and I'll—"

"—what I meant was, Link's psycho and he's hearing voices. He just heard it again."

"Oh," said Zelda. "I didn't hear it."

"Must've been whispering again," Tatl snickered.

With several bad jokes and mistranslations, they managed to tell Kylia about the voice that Link and Zelda had been hearing. Kylia suggested the theory that Link had had: perhaps they could hear the voice because of their Triforce pieces. However, it didn't explain why sometimes only Link could hear it, and why Link could understand it and Zelda couldn't.

Night settled over Clocktown as they talked, and, with one last look at the foreboding moon, Zelda, Kylia, and Link retreated to bed, leaving Tatl outside by herself.

**AN: **Yes, she's feeling left out, and all the terrible-ness is just a front, lol. How predictable. Told you I was losing my touch!!

Anyways, reveiw responses!

**DarknessIsForever:** Oo' It WOULD take years. Holy crap, I have to get moving....  
**ShadowShard:** the new story is actually linked in my profile, I just said "fictionpress . net" without the spaces in the last chap, and QuickEdit edited it out. Grr. And you got the voices thing wrong, but I think I gave enough hints you can figure it out now. o.-  
**Blowfish:** (Can I just type Blowfish? The whole thing is too long. ) Amen to the bomber comment! And sorry about your stories. That made me mad! ::growls::  
**Greki:** Impa IS scary...but Darunia is scarier. ::evil laugh::  
**GerudoPrincess:** Thank you! n.n  
**Hikari:** (I'm shortening yours too, I'm running low on time and some ppl have long names nn;) Heh, poor Wes, you think? I dunno, I thought it was kind of funny, but then again I'm pretty twisted.  
**spirit sage:** I'm glad you think it's not falling apart, and I don't really think it is either, but I'm doing so good on my writing lately. Maybe it's cause there's no Navi for Link to make fun of, I dunno. Glad you have faith in me though! n.n  
**GinTsuki:** I know you've been updating, it's about time!! And I'll Google Cherry Roms, thankies. n.n  
**twisted makeral:** WOW. Thank you! n.n Just go to the Zelda listing and type "naf" where it says "list" and you'll see what the reccomending thing is.  
**aqua seafoam shame:** Meh, the old name was cooler, but this one is cool too. Like opposing forces or somethin. n.n  
  
I think I got everybody. Yell at me if I didn't, and PLEASE reveiw! Thankies, bye! n.n


	9. Chapter Eight: Potions

**Author's Notes: **My head hurts, lol.

Chapter Eight: Potions

_Thunk._

Everyone had problems.

_Thunk._

Even Link. Especially Link.

_Thunk._

"Damn it, I'm too old to be short...."

Link had lots of problems. He was stuck in a foreign land, his friend had been kidnapped, and he was in the form of a Deku Scrub.

_Thunk._

But right now, it was his Deku body that was giving him real trouble. It wouldn't have mattered if he was a tall Deku, but he was a short Deku, a very short Deku, and he had problems. Problems like....

"How the hell am I supposed to get in this thing if I'm too stiff to climb and too short to see the top?"

There was no way he was asking for help getting into the bed. He wasn't going to humiliate himself. No, he'd have to be resourceful. Or persistent.

Link grabbed the top of the bed yet again and hoisted himself up, but his wooden fingers lost grip before his wooden leg would loosen up enough to swing over.

_Thunk_.

"Dammit...stupid skull kid...I swear I'm going to do something I'll regret the next time I see him...."

"What are you doing?"

Tatl had finally come in from outdoors, because it had started to rain, and she had "accidentally" flown into Link's room.

"None of your business. Go away."

"Too short, aren't you?"

"I am not!"

Tatl cackled gleefully. "Course not," she smirked.

"I'm not! Now go away!"

"Or what? You gonna go home and cry to mommy? What's she gonna do about it, huh?"

Link felt his blood boil. He grabbed Tatl roughly, squeezing enough to let her know he meant business, but not enough to hurt her. She let out a squeak of fright as the breath flew from her lungs. Link then threw her out the open window, which was the way she had come in, and shut it, pulling down on the string that hung to the floor. The rain beat on the glass rhythmically, calming Link down somewhat, but he still felt angry. It was bad enough he was like this, but she was still teasing him about it! Worse, she had mentioned his mother.

Sure, she hadn't known his mother was dead, but still....

What if his parents could see him like this? He'd die of shame. It was bad enough having Zelda and Kylia here.

"If I stay like this," he murmured, "I'll never be able to draw again. Never be able to swing a sword. And no one would ever be able to understand me. Ever again. Not Johan, not Kylia, not Malon, not even Zelda. Some hero I am."

Link felt miserable enough to cry, but the tears wouldn't come. Maybe it was because he was a Deku Scrub.

With a sigh, he lay down on the floor and fell asleep.

- - -

"What is his problem anyway?" Tatl asked. She had flown into Zelda and Kylia's window, after much banging and begging. She was now attempting to dry herself off, and fuming about Link's treatment.

"All I did was mess with him a little, and he had to go and throw me! What did I do him, anyway?"

"Think about it," Zelda snapped. "Look at him. He's not human anymore because of you, your brother, and the damn skull kid. We're all stuck here. His horse was killed, his ocarina was stolen, his friend was kidnapped, he's been humiliated, and he'll die in three days if we don't do something. Wouldn't you be mad?"

"Well it's not like I said anything mean to him," Tatl huffed. "I accuse him of wanting to go home and cry to his mommy—which I bet he does—and he up and throws me out a window! I mean, geez!"

"You said what?" Kylia gasped. "Well no wonder! Tatl, you're an idiot. He doesn't have a mother or a father. He can't even remember them. They died before he was even a year old."

Tatl went silent. "Oops," she said after a minute.

"Oops is right," Zelda said, turning off the oil lamp by her table and getting into bed. "Goodnight, Kylia."

"Night, Zelda."

Tatl huffed. "Goodnight to you guys too," she said.

- - -

_Die in three days_, Kylia mused. _If we don't do something, we'll_ all _die in three days_.

She thought again of her nightmare, but pushed it away. However, trying not to think about it made it worse. It plagued her mind, even as she drifted off into an uneasy sleep....

_A scream, a drop of blood...._

_She hit the floor painfully, turning the wooden floor scarlet. A muffled sob. The floor was red with her blood. _

_He laughed. There more sobbing. So much pain...._

_One final scream, she was gone. They were both gone._

Kylia awoke silently; no shouts, no thrashing, not being awakened by anything except fear. Silent tears rolled down her face.

_Not true, it's not true...I'm being paranoid, she's not going to die, he won't get her...._

But she still continued to cry late into the night, the rhythm of her tears matching the rhythm of the rain.

- - -

Wes ate his supper at a table in the main room with Johan and Impa. Everything was quiet; there wasn't much conversation because there was so little to talk about. Impa was worried about Zelda, Johan was worried about Link, and Wes was worried about his next meeting with a sage.

When they finished lunch, Wes returned to his book, and Impa returned to the castle to deliver the news of Zelda to the king. Johan was also reading, and he stayed upstairs until he finished the last chapter, then headed down for a new book; he liked reading because it took his mind off of everything, and it was what he planned to do until supper.

Wes sighed; he was bored, but worried. He found it hard to focus on his book. He laid it down and headed to the door, planning to take a breath of fresh air.

Someone yanked open the door just as his hand touched it. Wes was actually relieved that the three people standing at the door were Gerudo women; this meant that they were not sages. He wasn't so relieved, however, when the one in white pointed her sword at him.

"And to think we wasted our time in the desert," the woman snarled. "Jai, Tara, go find Johan. You, put your hands up. I'm not going to let you get away with anything this time!"

Wes gulped and put his hands up. These were probably friends of Kylia.

"Listen," Wes said, "It isn't what you think, I'm not really—"

"Shut up, Ganondorf!"

Wes's blood ran cold. That wasn't his name. He stayed silent, hoping Johan would get there soon and vouch for him.

"I don't know how or why you're here," the woman said softly, "But don't worry, you'll die this time."

A Gerudo in purple came from downstairs, with Johan behind her. Johan knew what was happening and sighed.

"I'm getting tired of this. This isn't Ganondorf, Ani, this is Wes, who was possessed by Ganondorf...."

Johan launched into the story as a Gerudo in red clothing (Tara) came downstairs. It took ten minutes of persuading for Ani to let Wes go, but she did eventually, for which Wes and Johan were very grateful.

Wes plopped down into a nearby chair. "At least you didn't chase me all over the place," he said wearily, and told them about Impa's attempt to murder him. "How many other people are looking for me?"

"Just three more. Rauru, but Impa probably told him already. And Ruto and Darunia," Johan said. "I really don't want to be around when he finds you," he added softly.

"Why?" Wes asked, feeling apprehensive.

So Johan had to tell Wes the story of what Ganondorf had done to Darunia, leaving out the worst details. Jai, Tara, and Ani listened to this carefully; they had never known what had happened to Little Link.

"Bastard," Wes said when Johan was done. "Lousy stinking bastard!"

As Wes rarely swore, Johan could tell he meant it. Ani was just sitting there with her mouth open, and Tara was glaring daggers at the wall. Jai put a finger to her chin, thinking, then swore very creatively.

"You know, I'm not so sure that _I_ wanna be around when you meet Darunia either," Jai commented.

"I don't either," Wes said wryly. "So that settles it, I'm not going."

Just then, someone opened the front door. Wes held his breath a moment, sure it was Darunia, but a man in orange robes walked through the door instead. He looked at the anxious look on every face, then watched in amusement as everyone let their breath out in a long, slow, hiss.

Rauru chuckled. "Having fun, I assume?"

"No," Wes said dully. "Are you a sage?"

"Yes."

"Damn."

"Lad, I've no sword or other weapon in my possession, all I have is magic, which I wouldn't bother to use on you, in any case, because I already have the full story of what has happened; Impa told me. I actually came here because I know something that would help us locate Link, Zelda, Navi, and Kylia," said Rauru.

"Really?" Jai asked interestedly.

"Yes," said Rauru. "All I have to do is make the Location Potion, then recite a spell. An image of the persons in question will appear in whatever container the potion is in. Since they are all highly magical, with the exception of Navi, they should be quite easy to find."

"Cool," Wes said. "So, let's make the potion."

"One catch," Rauru said. "The ingredients are very rare. They are located all through Hyrule. It will be a very challenging task to find them all..."

"...and you want our help," Tara finished. "what a great time for Kylia to be gone."

"What a great time for Link to be gone," Johan said. "All right, give us the list and tell us where to find the stuff, and we'll get to it."

"There better be one hell of a tip," Ani muttered.

- - -

Zelda yawned and got out of bed. She got dressed, then shook Kylia awake.

"Hey, it's morning," she whispered. "Wake up."

Kylia groaned. She opened her eyes and the nightmare came rushing back to her. She bit her lip.

_Just a nightmare,_ she thought firmly. _Get up and it'll go away._

Kylia got up and got dressed as well, then they both headed next door to find Link, who was fast asleep on the floor. Zelda blinked, then realized what the problem was.

"You get it, right?" she asked Kylia. Kylia nodded. "We won't tell him we saw. We'll get Tatl to wake him up. Then she can get the full blast of his grouch."

So Kylia went outside for breakfast, and Zelda went back to the room, leaving Link's door shut on purpose so that Tatl would have to go in the window, which was probably closed. She woke up Tatl, who had been sleeping on the nightstand between the two beds in the room.

"We just got up and we're going to get breakfast," Zelda fibbed. "We're letting you wake up Link, since you're the only one who can understand him. Now get up!"

Tatl yawned and stretched; she was a morning person, and it didn't take her long to wake up. She flew over to Link's room, only to find that the door was shut. She huffed, and flew around outside to go in the window, but remembered that it was shut too. It was still drizzling lightly, and she didn't stay out to open it; the rain made her cold.

Tatl flew around to the dining area, which was sheltered because of the other balcony on top of it, and saw Kylia and Zelda eating eggs and toast. She almost flew over to them and asked them to open the door, but she realized they were probably waiting for her to do that. She huffed again and flew back inside, examining the doorknob. Knobs were never her strong point; she could do handles okay, but it was impossible to open a door that had a knob on it; knobs were too round and too easy to lose grip on.

Tatl started muttering under her breath and swearing, and she flew downstairs to the check-in desk. She waited until the woman had left to carry some food upstairs to the dining area, then dove into the desk until she found some string and some bandages. She knew that most bandages grew sticky when they got wet; it was a special trick that only happened in Termina, because no one else had figured out how to make them like that anywhere else.

Tatl spit on the bandage, then flew upstairs to the doorknob. The bandage had grown sticky by this point, and she stuck the string to the side of the doorknob with it. She waited impatiently for the bandage to dry out, so it wouldn't slip, then pulled down and outwards on the string. The door opened a tiny crack, and she wedged her way in, to find Link asleep on the floor.

Tatl smirked to herself; they hadn't bested her, and neither had the doorknob. She flew over to Link, and started whistling.

It didn't take long for him to wake up.

"Would you cut that out?" Link grumbled.

"Morning to you too. You have to get up now. We're supposed to go to the place with the telescope and look for Maclar today, remember?"

Link got up fast, causing his back to throb in protest. He ignored it. "Oh yeah," he said.

Tatl left him without another word, not apologizing for what had happened the night before, or even mentioning it; she was still a bit mad about being thrown out of a window, and she was extremely offended that everyone was ganging up on her.

"I got the door open," Tatl said icily as she reached the table.

Zelda's eyebrows shot up, but she kept her cool. "Really? I didn't mean to leave it closed. I'll watch for that next time," she said, a bit sarcastically.

Link showed up then, grumpy and quiet. He ate nothing, not being hungry at all and not knowing how to eat it. Then he asked a very good question.

"So, where is this hideout anyway?"

Tatl translated, and Zelda and Kylia stared at each other in disbelief. They had no idea, and those kids would probably never get near them again.

"Oops."

- - -

"So, let's see, we've still got some left," said Johan, scratching his head. "The first ones were easy, but Rauru said it would be difficult...."

They had all gone to bed shortly after Rauru's visit, and in the morning, recovered what they could from a potion shop that sold rare ingredients. Still, however, there were several items missing from the list, and though the shopkeeper didn't have them, she told Johan where to find them, and added that if they had any surplus, she would buy it for a good chunk of change.

Right now, Johan, Wes, Malon, Ani, Tara, and Jai were standing in the middle of the Market, peering over a single piece of paper, all looking confused. It truly made quite a sight for unknowing passerby.

"'Feather of a Demon...' I wonder what that is. Let's see... 'mud crystals'? You've got to be kidding me, this is insane."

"The feather might be from a tahscyte," Jai said. "They're demon enough, and they have feathers."

"Mud crystals?"

"I dunno," said Jai.

"So," said Johan, "Let's split this up. There are..."

Johan did a quick head count.

"...six of us, and seven things left. Okay, Ani, you can get the 'demon's feather', right? Good...I'll go with Wes and Malon and look for the 'mud crystals' and the 'grave dirt,' and while I'm Kakariko I might as well get the 'hot rock,' too, that's going to be on Death Mountain...and Jai and Tara can get 'sweet poison', the 'traitor's delight,' and the 'fruits of death,' those sound like they could be in the forest and I bet Saria would help you...."

"You only gave Ani one thing," Jai complained. Tara raised an eyebrow.

"Well, the desert is a long way from here. Not only that, she's going by herself."

"All right, all right, let's just hurry, I don't want this to take all day!"

They split up. Ani got on her horse to ride to the desert, Jai and Tara rode to the forest, and Johan, Wes, and Malon walked to Kakariko.

"You know," said Malon, "Some of these things are easy. Like 'grave dirt,' it's obvious that we need to get dirt off of a grave. Which is creepy, but...what I'm saying is, what is a mud crystal? And a traitor's delight? Those take logic. You think Rauru could have given it to us in English?"

"That's what the book said," Johan said, shrugging. "We haven't got a lot of choice."

"This is stupid, I can't believe there's only one way to go about it," Wes muttered. They walked up the steps to Kakariko, passing the houses of several people Wes knew. Kara waved at them from her window as they passed by her (newly rebuilt) house.

"Wait a sec, I'll be right down!" she called when she spotted Wes. She knew him from the times when he had come over to her house, when things had gotten bad at his. She thought of Wes as her older brother, and he liked to call her a little sister. It wasn't too surprising that she wanted to come and see him; he hadn't been around lately and she was worried.

Kara appeared at the front door, breathless. "Hi," she said. "Where've you been, bro?"

"Around," Wes said. "Actually, it's really complicated."

"Great, tell me all about it," said Kara insistently. "You wanna come in?"

"Sure," Johan said. Malon gave him a hurry-we-don't-have-all-day look, but Johan said, "We have all the time we need to find the stuff, won't hurt to go in for awhile."

"Okay," Malon sighed.

The visit actually went very well; Kara's mother, father, and brother all came in and out of the house at least twice, and they all greeted Wes warmly. Wes seemed to be a bit nervous around them, but was generally relaxed around his "sister," and after the family had gone out, he convinced Johan to let him tell Kara what had happened—including the part about who had possessed him.

"No way," Kara said, her hands over her mouth. "And Link? Does he...?"

"Actually, he does know about all this," Wes said, "but he disappeared yesterday without a trace, and it seems fishy so we're getting ingredients to make a potion that'll find him and the rest of the motley crew."

"Hey, can I help?" Kara asked. "I mean, if the jackass that killed my dad is out somehow, I gotta, right?"

Wes shook his head. "First of all, you'll get hurt. This is no easy stuff we have to get. Second of all, your dad's alive again because of the wish, right?"

Kara nodded. "But he was still dead once! Wes, c'mon, I wanna help! I'll leave a note saying I went out to hike with a few friends, which is the truth, remember? Please?"

Wes sighed and had a silent conversation with Malon and Johan. Kara looked back and forth between them, holding her breath, crossing her fingers.

"All right, you can come," Johan relented. "But you have to promise that if it gets dangerous, you'll put yourself before us, you hear?"

Kara nodded. "Yessir!" she said. She bounded out the door, with a shouted, "Are you coming, or what?" over her shoulder. Malon laughed a little, shrugged, and walked outside. Johan and Wes followed.

"The first thing we have to do is get the dirt off of a grave," Johan sad. Kara went a little pale, but nodded.

"Sure, okay, we can do that, we just need something to put it in," she said, and withdrew a small flask of green liquid from her pocket. "Give somebody five rupees to drink this," she dared.

Wes took the bottle and frowned. "What is it?"

They began walking past the well and towards the graveyard.

"Actually, I dunno, but the lady I bought it from said it's great. It only cost me a rupee, for a bottle that little, and she says it'll do wonders for you when you drink it."

Johan grabbed the bottle from Wes and pocketed it. "This stuff is a dangerous potion. I don't see where that woman got off selling someone as young as you a thing like that."

"What's it do?" Kara and Wes asked at the same time.

"I'll tell you later," said Johan, drawing an empty bottle from Malon's pack. "Right now, all we need is something to put that dirt in, and I have that without you emptying your bottle of potential poison."

"Whatever," said Kara. She knelt down next to the nearest grave and pulled out a small switchblade. She didn't look at the name of the grave; it would make her feel guilty.

Malon, however, did read the grave while Kara was getting the dirt. Something tugged at the back of her mind.

"Hey Johan," she said. "Who are the Composer Broth—oh...my...Goddesses...."

Two figures had just risen from the gravestone that Kara was determined not to look at. She didn't see them until after Malon did, and when she did, she dropped her knife and screamed.  
  
**AN: **Heh, I love those guys. Like I wasn't gonna plug them in somewhere. Anyways, reveiw responses!  
  
**DarknessIsForever:** Yeah, I know, but all my teachers hate me. Lol. Anyways, it'd be on paper and I'd have to retype it. Lol, I'm too lazy to do that.  
**aqua seafoam shame:** In-tri-gue? Wow! ::adds to vocabulary::  
**Blowfish:** Expect to have this idea incorperated into the plot somehow.  
As for your stories, yay! I'm still mad at the meanie FF people. But oh well. Not much we can do about it. I hope oneof them breaks a finger! So they can't type, hah!  
**ShadowShard:** Ooops, sorry if that sounded rude. ;-; Glad you found the link, (I almost wanted to type that with a capital L, lol.) and I hope the login thingy works better next time.  
**Greki:** Lol, my mom'll do the same thing, dun worry about it. n.n  
**Hikari:** Actually, I read bits and pieces of it after you asked, but until you asked me, no I didn't. Lol, you feel sorry for Termina? That's a new one on me....  
**The Sagittarius Sage:** Yay logged in reveiws! They're so much more fun! n.n  
  
Also, don't think I've mentioned this, I wanna thank Light Sage for his help. n.n I bounce ideas off of him and tell him all my plot twists to check if they're lame, and he really does help me lots. Thank you! n.n

My head still hurts, lol. Anyway next chapter shouldn't take too long since I'll be getting the Hyrule time matched to the Termina time (Hyrule is a bit behind) and I like writing about Hyrule better. n.n More fun, cause it's got Johan in it, and he's fun to write with.

Aaaanyways, I think I'll shutup and go now. Byes!


	10. Chapter Nine: Doc

**Author's Notes: **Wah, I'm sorry it took so long. Practically the only time I can write is weekends, and doing a bit here and there on weekdays. Anyways sorry for the long wait and enjoy my chapter.

Chapter Nine: Doc

Ani hummed to herself and her horse as they trotted across Hyrule Field. She was glad that her task was the easiest; getting a feather off a tahscyte was by no means an easy challenge, but it had to be better than getting "mud crystals" and "traitor's delight," whatever those were.

She got to Gerudo Valley in what seemed to be no time at all. She entered with ease; everyone knew her, and in any case, security had been a little more relaxed since Ganondorf's defeat.

Ani shivered. He wasn't defeated. Somewhere, he was out there, biding his time, waiting....

"Bastard," she muttered as she dismounted her horse. First thing she was going to do after she got that feather was to order a tightened security. Her women would think she was losing her mind, what with the search and all yesterday, but better that than Ganondorf getting in and possessing one of her guards. She'd really be in it then.

Ani decided that the feather could wait and headed straight for her office, telling one of the guards to find Mirya, the head of security.

Mirya was there in about five minutes, which was fast for her.

"You wanted me for something, Ani?" Mirya asked.

"Yeah," Ani said absent mindedly, looking out the window. Then her attention jerked back to the present. "I'm sorry, I have a lot on my mind, y'know? Listen, I need the security around here as tight as a drum, yeah?"

Mirya raised an eyebrow. "Would this have anything to do with that mystery search we did yesterday? Did you ever find the dude?"

"Aaah, it does and we did, sort of."

"Mmm," Mirya said. "What do you mean sort of?"

"Well...we were actually looking for the wrong person," Ani said, not quite sure how to put it. "It wasn't who we thought it was, it w—stop looking at me like that! Just tell everyone to keep their eyes open. Don't let a soul in or out unless you know who they are and if you have a second thought come to me and only me. If anyone tries anything funny through them in a cell and have two guards in there at all times. I want this place to be about as accessible as it was when Ganondorf was around, you comprehend me?"

"Yes, Ani," Mirya said respectfully. She paused. "What is it?"

"Eh?"

"You want the place to be as secure as it was when Ganon was around. What's a threat as big as him?"

Ani sighed. Her head of security was her best guard, which was why she had the job she did now. She was just a bit too...curious. However, if she knew the situation, she would probably take it more seriously, and her attitude would be noticed by her guards, who in turn would be more serious, so....

"Well?" Mirya prompted. "What could possibly be as dangerous as Ganondorf?"

The silence spoke for Ani. She uttered no sound.

A trace of worry and fear flickered in Mirya's eyes. "Ani? What's as dangerous as Ganon?"

Silence. Complete silence.

"Ani?"

Still, Ani didn't say a word. She let her eyes betray her emotions. Mirya's eyes went wide and both hands flew to her mouth.

"This is not happening. This cannot be happening."

- - -

"What are you looking at?" Tara snapped at Mido.

He was staring at the two women from his window, not sure if he should be exasperated or fascinated. Link kept bringing strangers here, which was bad, but good too. Strangers by law were to be killed or tossed into the Lost Woods, (really, what was the difference?) however, that law had practically been abolished, and the strangers were strange indeed, and it fascinated Mido to no end, though he would eat a Deku Nut before admitting it.

"You," Mido retorted sourly. "Are you a Hylian too?"

"No, we're Gerudo," Jai said, cutting off Tara's testy response. "Have you seen Saria?"

"Yeah," Mido said. "She went into the woods to play her ocarina. She might not be back for awhile, and no, I don't know the way, only Link, Saria, and Navi do, and Link has to help Navi. So don't even ask. You'll have to wait," Mido sneered.

Jai smiled sweetly at him. "May we come in?"

"No."

"That's okay, we'll just wait in Saria's house, and when she asks why we're there, we'll just tell her you were too busy to lend us a hand," Jai said innocently.

Mido uttered a curse and opened his door. "You can find your own way in. Now what do you need?"

Jai walked in the door, followed by Tara. Mido sat down at a small table in the center of the room.

"How is it your business?" Tara snapped, also sitting down at the table.

"Tara!" Jai said, her tone reprimanding. She too took a seat. "We need the, um...fruits of death...traitor's delight...and the sweet poison. Whatever those are. We were hoping Saria could help us find them."

Mido gave her an odd look. "I have one of those. But it's dangerous, and rare. What do you need it for?"

"Which one do you have?" Tara asked.

"I asked first," Mido sneered.

"I have a sword," Tara retorted.

"Okay, you two chill out," Jai said loudly, cutting off their argument. She sighed. "Link got lost. In the woods. And—"

"_Link_ got lost? In the forest? The same Link I know? C'mon, you don't expect me to believe that, do you?" Mido snorted. "Link knows the place as good as Saria does. And she's a sage."

"You didn't let me finish," Jai said coolly. "I was about to say, we think he fell in a dimension warp...our sources tell us he's in a place called Termina."

"What sources?"

"Nunya. Anyway, we need the ingredients for a potion that'll help us locate Link. So we can find him so he doesn't die out there. And...."

Jai hesitated.

"Yes?" Mido asked impatiently.

"Our sources also told us that a skull kid said something about...the fact that in three days, Link and everyone who went with him...will be trapped. In Termina. Or...they'll die, or...or something bad. So we should probably get the potion before then."

"Uh-huh," Mido said. "Does Saria know about nay of this? At all?"

"All except the potion part."

"Right. Well, you've got me convinced," Mido sneered.

Tara swore at him and Jai hushed her and apologized.

"Too bad for you, I never liked Link anyways," Mido muttered. It was the truth; he never had liked Link, but it had been because he was jealous, then because he was ashamed. Ashamed of what jealousy had done to him, and how Link had turned out in spite of it all.

And there was also the matter that he had been responsible for the death of the Deku Tree.

"What'd you say?" Jai asked curiously.

"Nothing," Mido said. "You won't find any sweet poison in the forest, don't even try. I have the only bottle left."

"Can you at least tell us what it is, maybe we can find some at a shop...?"

"I'll tell you what it is, but you won't find it at a shop," Mido snapped. "Sweet poison is a liquid. No one knows where it comes from. Came from, actually. The rumor was that it was sap from the Deku Tree, but since Link killed him, and the Deku Sprout is still growing, we might never know."

"Link did not—"

"Do you or don't you want to hear this?" Mido snapped.

"Sorry."

"Damn right you are," Mido growled. "Anyway, the liquid makes anyone who drinks it will basically turn into a Kokiri. Not really, but since the Kokiri were created by the Deku Tree, we all look alike and we have the liquid in our blood at creation. We stop growing at ten and we don't die naturally. I don't know where the bottle came from, it's been in my house ever since before I can remember and I know what it is because I'm Kokiri, and I can just...tell. It's called sweet poison because...eternal youth...it's a type of curse."

"You gotta be kidding me," Jai said. "People would kill for eternal youth!"

There was a long silence, and Jai realized that she had just said something foolish. Mido gave her a piercing stare that was quite out of his normal character.

"Did you know that we think the outside world is dangerous?" Mido asked at last. The sneer was gone from his voice; he was being utterly serious.

"No," said Tara. "Why would you think that?"

Mido sighed. "Most Kokiri don't need to know why, it was just a fact of life for us. But I figured it out. The outside world...everyone there will grow old and die. And we live forever. If they get in or we get out, we get attached to things that can't stay."

Jai frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"I'll give you an example," Mido said carefully. "One day Link will die, and Saria won't. She'll go forever without him after he's gone. She'll go forever without all the friends she made. And she'll never be able to grow up, never get old, and she'll never die. It's not like she could outlive him by a few years and they could both go to the afterlife. We're all stuck here. And when her friends do die, she'll be miserable," Mido added bitterly.

Jai remained quiet, waiting for him to continue.

"See," Mido said, "We were meant to live alone in the forest. No one was supposed to get in or out. The forest was supposed to shield us away from everything...even pain. But it didn't quite work. We've lived for thousands of years...it won't stop unless something kills us. And if we all die, there will be no more Kokiri because there would be no Deku Tree. That sprout won't be fully mature for hundreds of years, at least. The forest couldn't go without care that long. It would die, and disrupt the whole balance of the world. We're meant to care for the forest, just like Gorons care for the mountain and Zoras keep the water clean. That's just how it goes."

Mido got up and walked over to a cabinet. He pulled out a small vial with a deep, sparkling gold liquid.

"Sweet poison. It's sweet enough to start with, all right, but in the end it costs you your life. It's Saria's worst fear," he added softly, staring a the vial with disgust. "She was happy before Link showed up, but she didn't have a purpose until he needed someone to take care of him. One thing lead to another, and she made friends. Now she's scared of what will happen when they all get old and die. She doesn't want to be alone again...without a purpose. Even if she made new friends...they would die too. A person can only take so much."

Tara was silent; her anger at Mido had vanished. Jai was also quiet; she had always thought of the Kokiri as happy people, content in their own world. But they could never be content in their own world, and being truly happy would cause them pain, in the end.

"After awhile...she'll forget. Someone's memory is bound to lose a few things along the way of several hundred years. And eventually, after infinity, Saria will forget Link. And that's what makes her cry."

Mido handed Jai the bottle and walked out the door. "I know the way until we get to a pond; then I'm lost. I'll take you there if you can keep up."

- - -

"Wh-who are you?" Kara stuttered. She was as white as a sheet. So were Malon and Johan. Johan, however, was merely shocked, not afraid. Link, seven—no, nearly eight, now—eight years ago, Link had told Johan of his meeting with these ghosts.

Sharp and Flat stood before them, transparent, scary looking, but perfectly harmless.

"Fear not, child, we come not to harm you," Sharp chuckled. "I am Sharp the Elder, and this is my younger brother Flat. I do wonder why you disturb our grave, however."

"Can all of you see them?" Johan asked, unsticking his throat, his eyes not leaving the ghosts.

Kara, Malon, and Wes all nodded. Sharp chuckled once more.

"That doesn't answer my question. What were you doing?"

"Y-you're...ghosts," Kara said faintly. "And you're _talking_ to me. And I'm losing my mind." Kara had scrambled to her feet when the ghosts had appeared, but now she sat back down on the ground, looking pale.

Sharp exchanged a glance with Flat.

"We're not going to harm you," Sharp repeated. "We were simply disturbed from our rest, and wanted to know why."

"S-sorry," Wes stuttered. "W-we had to get dirt from a grave for a potion...."

"Ah," said Flat. "And who are all of you?"

"Friends of Link's," Johan said quickly. "I'm Johan, this is his cousin Malon, and our friends Wes and Kara."

"Wes, is it?" Sharp asked. "An evil presence has been near you of late. Are you all right?"

"H-how'd you know that?" Wes stuttered. It felt so odd to talk to a ghost, much less normally. These people had _died_, and they were standing right there, speaking as though it happened every day.

Well, for them, it probably did, but really....

"We know," Flat said, "Because we have sensed the presence before, in the one who murdered us."

_Uh-oh_, Wes thought.

"Don't worry, we know he is no longer with you. In fact, he's not even in Hyrule anymore. He went after Link."

"Excuse me?" Malon said, speaking at last. "How do you know that? Do you know where my cousin is? Tell me!" she demanded.

"Calm yourself," Flat said coolly. "He's on the other side of the world. He managed to get there through the warp portal."

"What warp portal?" Johan asked quickly. Finally, someone who knew more about this other land.

"The warp portal that connects dimensions. You are quite lucky that Link wound up in Termina. That is the most common place for the warp to send one who falls through, since it is opposite of the place where the warp is, but he could have landed...anywhere.

"Sharp and I have known about the world beyond this fair land of Hyrule for quite some time. Certainly most people know of the neighboring countries, however, one can only travel on foot but so far....

"Far beyond this land, civilization fails to bloom. There are meadows and creeks, but they are unpopulated. The plains are wide, and larger than anything imaginable. Our Hyrule Field could be considered an ants nest in comparison. Eventually, the plains blend into forests, forests so deep one can go in and wander around for years, and never again see the light of day. These forests are enchanted, and they move about whilst one wanders within. Eventually, these forests rise above the ground and die out, forming mountains. The mountains peak so high that one can look down upon the clouds. The mountains are snowcapped and jagged, and some are active volcanoes. It would take years to cross on foot, if one was able to survive that long.

"The mountains end abruptly, and in the mist, one may well not see the cliffs ahead and fall into the sea. The seas are tossed by storms, day and night, and are never calm. Demons of all sorts live in these seas, the first population in forever. They attack anyone who comes near and rip them apart. The seas last forever, and are just as dangerous as the mountains and forests. Tiny islands, trapped within the seas, have life on them, but they are few and far between, and it is impossible to know what life these islands hold, because of the process of evolution.

"Beyond this, there is shore. However, it is in a place where light never touches. No sun, or moon, or stars. Fire goes out once it is lit. it is pitch black, and freezing. Everything is solid ice. The ice is sharp and jagged and fragile. It is also red. When touched, it burns like fire.

"The red ice eventually gives way to the deserts, which are blistering hot and filled with vultures and sandstorms. There is no life except what survives by eating the victims who so foolishly enter the desert. This vast wasteland stretches for days, until, at last, it returns to the wide meadows and plains. After that, civilization begins again."

"How do you know about all of that?" Malon asked, looking slightly shocked.

"We're ghosts," Sharp said. "We can travel at the speed of light if we wish, and we've done so and seen everything."

"Cool," said Kara, "But I got two questions...why does what there matter about Link, who are you...and if you're dead...how come you're still...here?"

"That's three," Sharp said, sounding amused. "We've already told you who we are, and that itself can answer your last question. We remain on this earth because we have no wish to go to the afterlife yet. Once we go, there will be no coming back. Spirits can remain in this world for as long as they wish, but you only go to the afterlife once; after that one cannot return. We wish to explore this world further, as ghosts, and learn its mysteries before we move on into paradise, so we have stayed."

Malon remembered something Link had told her once. He had made a joke out of it when they were sitting on the roof of the barn one night, but Malon could tell the event he spoke of was no joke; he had only kidded to be sure that she didn't think him to be insane.

It had been just days after the defeat of Ganon. There had been yet another party, this time at Lon Lon Ranch, and Link and Navi had decided to stay the night, as the night had already faded into the early hours of the morning; Malon could have sworn from the position of the stars that it was nearly two am.

"Ganon being gone sure has made things crazy, huh?" Link said, smirking a bit.

Malon had laughed. "Yeah. But in a good way."

"I dunno," Link had said, and Malon had caught something in his tone of voice that made her listen closely. "The other day when me'n Kylia were leaning those planks on the walls—" Link had winced, remembering his sore toes. "Anyways, I started seeing things. It musta been me hitting my toes so much."

"Like what?" Malon had asked, amused.

It was very obvious that Link had seen something, and wasn't quite sure what to make of it, and this was his way of getting Malon's thoughts on the subject.

"Loads of stuff," Link said, and he started naming several apparitions Malon knew could only come from his creative mind, and in the long list, he mentioned his parents, by far the sanest of his "hallucinations."

Malon knew then that at one point Link had seen his parents, and she wanted to know details, but she hadn't been able to make herself tell Link she saw past his joking, so she let it slide, with a few teasing remarks she couldn't resist.

"Well, I know you're a very...aah, creative...person, but hey, if you say you saw them, I believe you, after all, you're funny and a little weird, but you're not really crazy, unless you forgot to mention the flying pigs."

"Women, all the same. It's Kylia's fault, she kept dropping those planks on my foot...."

But Sharp said once a spirit went to the afterlife, they couldn't come back. And she knew that Johan had met with them in the afterlife, so they had most definitely gone....

This was confusing.

"Are you sure about that?" she asked, cutting through the conversation that had taken place during her brooding.

"About what?" Flat asked.

"That once someone goes to the afterlife, they can't come back."

"There are occasional exceptions, why do you ask?"

"Well duh, I'm curious, it's not like I ever died before," Malon said, raising her eyebrows; this action was partly to convince the ghosts she was telling the truth, and partly because she was surprised at what a good actress she was. "What exceptions?"

Johan watched this happen with interest. He had not been dead for long, so didn't know all of the rules. He was extremely good at reading people, a skill he had always had but had perfected while spending seven years in his cloak, and right now he figured there was a reason Malon was asking. No one else seemed to notice this.

"Well," Sharp said, "If the spirits have unattended affairs to take care of, or if someone they love is in mortal danger, or if a loved one is in desperate need of some sort of help with a problem, a spirit could come back as a shooting star and aid them."

"This is nice and all, talking to dead people, but, um, we need to find Link, remember?" Kara said.

"Oh yeah," Malon muttered sheepishly.

Wes, who had, true to his nature, been relatively quiet until now, spoke up. "You guys said you knew where him and Ganondorf were...?"

"Ah," said Flat. "My apologies, I drifted entirely off the subject. Link, Zelda, Kylia, and Navi are all in a place on the other side of the world, a place that they managed to get through due to a very unstable warp. At least, unstable until recently. Someone has been using this warp. It will take you to any location you wish, but if you fall in by accident and have no location in mind, it becomes unstable and takes one to the last place that it warped someone to. This is undoubtedly what happened to Link and his friends. Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that he will ever return, as the warp is suspended high above one's head, in its location in Termina. You would have to navigate through pitch black woods and perhaps throw a rope down, at the risk of falling in yourself."

"But you mustn't do that yet," Sharp said sternly.

"And why not?" said Malon.

"They have a task to complete. Remember, Ganon is there as well, and as we speak, he is plotting to take the Triforce again...."

As Sharp and Flat fully explained the meaning of their words, everyone was stunned into silence. Their eyes widened and their jaws dropped.

Malon had her mouth covered with both hands, but she lowered them to speak. "He's taken it to a new level...that's for sure...."

"Yeah," said Wes. "He's got to be...well, crazy...."

"He _is_," Sharp said urgently. "You have no idea what he could do from where he's hiding. We are dealing with a crazed psychopath who wants nothing but revenge."

Johan let his breath out in a long, slow, hiss. "Are you sure you don't know who's he's planning on...?"

The rest of the sentence was too terrible to finish.

"Very sure," Flat responded. "But you'd do well to finish that Locating Potion and find out."

- - -

"...and if I hadn't tried to kill the little beast, we could ask him where it was, but no, I had to open my mouth," Kylia said. "I don't even have a clue as to where the stupid hideout is and we've searched everywhere. I mean, they are kids, but there not stupid. It's not like we're just gonna stumble across it by pure dumb luck, are we? That would be too good to be...."

Night had fallen once more in Clocktown, and Kylia had been venting her anger at herself by talking aimlessly to Link, Zelda, and Tatl. However, she was unable to finish her sentence, because at that precise moment, she stumbled onto the hideout by pure, dumb, luck.

"Now isn't that interesting," Kylia said softly.

Several of the boys they had played with earlier were running races, nearby the Stock Pot Inn. What was more, a boy who wasn't running was standing to the entrance of a small, barely visible alley, as if guarding it. Kylia was sure that this was the place that lead to the observatory.

"Hey!" Zelda yelled at the kids. "You guys tell me where the hideout is?"

Of course, they all recognized her, and a few even ran at the sight of her. Link and Tatl snickered.

Kylia then stepped forward, and the boy in the red hat yelled, "It's the demon! Guys, scramble!"

All the boys took off and hid except the one guarding the alley. He was trembling as the "demon" walked up to him.

"Lemme by," Kylia said.

"I-I c-can't, not unless y-y-you know th-the c-code," the kid stuttered.

Kylia grinned and recited the five digits that would allow her access to the observatory, then said to the kid, "You have guts. Don't worry, I'm not gonna kill you. The rest of your friends scattered but you stayed. I respect that."

It was true, she did like the fact that the kid was so brave. She couldn't help laughing at the look of surprise on his face.

"You ever need me, come find me!" Kylia called as she walked down the alley. Zelda, Link and Tatl hastened to follow.

The moon glared down at them all as they entered a passageway that went underground. Link was strongly reminded of the Inn, and he felt another pang of homesickness, but he didn't say anything. The passage wound below buildings and sidewalks. Soon they could not hear the noise of the city above them. All was quiet, except for the dripping of water in the puddle filled passage, and the slight twittering from birds somewhere above them.

They came to a ladder. Kylia shrugged and began to climb. When she had gotten to the top and reported that it was safe, Link, Tatl, and Zelda followed.

Light blinded them. They were in a brightly lit, _colorful_ building. Most of it was blue, but the staircases were all different colors, decorated with painted stars and moons.

"Wow," said Tatl. "Neat!"

"We're not here to admire it," Zelda said, though she too was letting her eyes wander around the small building.

"Hey! Who's down there?"

An old man's voice carried down the staircase to greet them. It wasn't accusing, like it should have been; the voice actually held a friendly note to it.

"I'm afraid you don't know us," Zelda called politely, walking up the stairs. The rest of the group followed.

The man at the top of the stairs was peering into a long, thin object, muttering to himself and every once in awhile, making a note on a clipboard he held in his hand. He was wearing blue robes and a blue hat, decorated with painted stars—to match his walls. His hair was light gray and his face was old and wrinkled, but he gave off an aura of cheerfulness and youthfulness.

"Howdy," the man said, prying his eyes away from the long object. "Lovely night, ain't it? You friends of those kids?"

"You could say that," Tatl muttered. Link snickered.

"Yes, we are," Kylia said, shooting a warning glance at Tatl.

"Ah," said the man, peering back into the object. "I s'pose they made you play games, eh? They told me about you four. Said you fancied a look in this here telescope."

"Is that what it's called?"

"Yep, kids think it's magic, but it's not. Technology too advanced for it's time around here. Where I come from, this thing would be called a cheap hunk of junk."

"Where _are_ you from?" Zelda asked. This man certainly didn't act like anyone she had ever met before.

"I'm from a place you can call the Seventies."

"Isn't that a number?"

"Sure is. You're a sharp one. Actually, it's a time. I like to say that's where I'm from cause that's what time it was when I wound up here through your little dimension warp. I'm not looking for a way to get back, this place suits me just fine. Not nearly enough disco, but I did manage to give the place a little color."

"Tatl, ask him what disco is," Link said.

"Disco is music, damn good music if I do say so myself. And whatever you want to ask me you an do it to my face, I'm not deaf yet," the old man said with a chuckle, making another note on his clipboard and looking back into the telescope.

"I thought you couldn't understand me!" Link said. "You speak Deku?"

"No, I understand it. See, I landed in the old swamp when I got here and I couldn't figure out how to get out till I learned the language and they told me."

"Cool," said Link.

"What's he saying?" Zelda said.

"Oh, me and him just talking about how I knew the language," the old man responded vaguely, still looking into the telescope. "Damn moon's in my way, can't see the stars properly. Tell me, have you heard the rumors?"

"Yes, we have," said Zelda. "And they're true. That's why we're here, actually. The person who's making the moon fall kidnapped our friend, and we have to find him and get her back. We were hoping...."

"That you could look for him in this contraption, eh?" the man questioned. "You sure can, missy. What's your name?"

Everyone introduced themselves, and the old man shook hands with each of them, including Tatl. (Her teeth rattled even as she swore.)

"Stay as long as you like, and have a good long look. You can call me Doc."

**AN: **I think I figured out why I don't write as easily anymore, or like what I write. It's so fucking monotonus! (sp) Seriously, it was BORING. It needed a little flavor, so I turned the astronomer into an old hippy. n.n Now maybe I can add a little fun to it, so it won't be so boring to read or write. I need to get the story moving, y'know? Nine chaps and not even through the first three days! Oy! Oh well, enough ranting. Here's the reveiw responses. 

**Blowfish:** This reminds you of the OoT trading quest? Uh-oh. Lol, I hated that too. It was just barely worth it. I love that sword, man. XD  
**Hikari:** I can't read too much or I'll be wanting to make my fic like it. (Unconciously. I experienced this desire after reading the Kafei (can't spell his name, grr) and Anju thingy.) I'll just read it as I go along. n.n It's really very good.  
**aqua seafoam shame:** I can hardly call this soon...sorry.... ;-;  
**Greki:** Aww, I hope you get better soon!  
**Ghoul King:** O.O Wow. I actually had to look up the word blasphemous and ask two people what it meant, then still only had a fuzzy idea. nn; Either way, since you ahve mixed feelings, I'll take the "good" part as a compliment, soo, thanks I think. n.n'  
  
Anyways, I'll try and get the next chapter done as quickly as I can, but I can't make any promises to how soon, sorry. Please reveiw and bye! n.n


	11. Chapter Ten: Bargain Hunting

**Author's Notes: **I'm sorry it took so long! Really! I've been getting carried away on ym other story... nn; I hope you guys can read it, it's about Alanai. n.n Anyways, sorry it took so long, but the chap is almost five thousand words, to make up for it. It doesn't have Doc in it though. All the stuff took place in Hyrule, I was busy getting them caught up with Termina time. Bah. This also has just a bit of angst; I couldn't help it, it's my specialty, and the circumstances were just too easy. Besides, I needed more OoT references, this doesn't seem like a very good sequel, as far as sequels go. Antways! Enough ranting, here's the chapter.  
  
(The strange name comes from the fact that I couldn't think of one, and all this gathering of stuff seems to be a lot of work for nothing :p and it reminds me of Bargain Hunting. So it makes no sense, shoot me....)

Chapter Ten: Bargain Hunting

"So what do we need now, Johan?" Malon asked.

"Now we need...hmm...."

Johan pulled out the list. "Hot rock...that's next on the list."

"Hot rock would be on Death Mountain, right?" Wes said, cocking one eyebrow.

"Yes."

"Damn."

"Cheer up, at least it'll be over soon," said Malon.

"I'll celebrate after I make it out alive."

They hiked up the path to Goron City quickly, Johan assuring Wes that Darunia would know what hot rock was and would not commit a homicide in front of his son. They met a few "baddies," as Kara liked to call them, but she herself had her switchblade and Johan still had Kylia's knife, that channeled magic.

The first time he shot a ball of energy at a tektite, Wes, Malon, and Kara all looked fairly shocked and made a show of applauding him afterwards. When asked about the knife by Kara, Johan simply said he knew a little magic and that the knife, which could channel it, was a gift from a friend of his. He wouldn't have minded telling her the entire story, but it would have taken hours.

Wes was expecting some kind of scene. Perhaps Darunia would simply knock him over the head in front of all the Gorons. Or worse, maybe he would knock him over the head, and it would be fatal....

But this was not what happened at all. In fact, meeting Darunia turned out to be quite easy.

"You know," Malon said on the way up the mountain, "I think we should've wised up by now."

"What do you mean?" Wes asked curiously.

"Well, you were attacked by Saria, Impa, Johan, Kylia, Ani, Jai, because they saw you and recognized your description _before_ they had found out what happened. Why don't we just let Johan go in, tell Darunia what's going on, while the rest of us wait outside, and _then_ we can go in and ask about the hot rock?"

"I scare myself," Johan murmured after a moment.

"Why?"

"Because that thought never crossed my mind."

Wes rolled his eyes. Kara and Malon giggled.

- - -

Saria stopped playing her ocarina and looked about her. Her surroundings were very peaceful, yet she sensed that two strangers had entered the forest, accompanied by Mido. Hmm...no, not strangers, but they were very out of place here—they had never been here before.

_I'd better find them,_ she thought. _Mido's probably taking them to the pond._

Saria slid off of the stump and pocketed her ocarina. She realized with a start that it was still Link's ocarina; they had never traded back after Ganondorf was defeated.

When Saria had been sent to the Sacred Realm to await the day she could use her magic to help Link defeat Ganondorf, she and Link had traded their matching ocarinas, promising to trade back once Ganondorf was finally gone for good. She knew Link kept hers with him at all times, in Epona's saddlebag when he traveled, and in his pocket when he didn't. She kept his in her pocket as well, playing it for hours at a time in the Sacred Forest Meadow. It was her way of connecting to the forest. Often, if she played long enough, she could let her soul walk around the forest while her body continued to play the ocarina. She had mastered this technique very recently; before now, it had happened on its own, sometimes without her consent.

She made her way to the pond quietly, enjoying the woods around her. Then another thought hit her.

She and Link had promised to trade ocarinas...after Ganondorf was gone for good. She had remembered to give his back several times, but something had always stopped her from going through with it. Perhaps this was it. She hadn't given the ocarina back...because he hadn't really been gone. Some part of her had known and stopped.

Maybe she would know when he was truly dead. Either way, she still wanted to keep Link's ocarina. She had grown attached to it.

Saria reached the pond quickly, still deep in thought, and sat down on a stump near the pond. She sensed that the people were making their way towards the pond, taking the winding path she had taught Mido. She smiled, shaking her head. The nearer they got, the more she could tell about them. She was acutely tuned in with the forest; so acutely tuned in, in fact, that the forest itself was informing her about the people with Mido.

Female...tall...one wearing purple, the other wearing red. Tanned. Strong. Powerful.

So, they were Gerudo. Saria smiled. Friends of Kylia's.

She hummed softly under her breath until they arrived, looking a bit tired.

"Hi," Saria said brightly, making them jump. "Oops, sorry," she giggled. "You're Kylia's friends?"

"Yeah," said Jai, walking over to the place where Saria was sitting. "We were hoping you could help us. See, we need stuff for a potion, but...."

Tara and Jai explained the situation. Mido watched until the end, declared he was bored, and stalked off to the village. Saria sighed as he left.

"He really is very nice, when he wants to be, he just has a problem with politeness. Anyways, we can get those, but it'll take a little work. They're inside the Forest Temple, and the first challenge we have there is actually getting in."

"Why?"

"You'll see when we get there...."

- - -

"Stupid bird!" Ani shouted. "You wait until I get my hands on you, I'll cook you for dinner!"

She rolled her eyes at the tahscyte keepers, who had refused to help her get the feather, saying that it would make the tahscytes mistrustful of them.

Ani had been chasing the birds for half an hour. She was growing tired of being humiliated by mere birds, and her feet and back were aching. The birds were frighteningly intelligent; they could easily tell when she was coming and they usually dodged in plenty of time.

The tahscyte pin itself was a room made of wire netting, with one large door that swung outward to let people in and out. It was outside by the archery course; seeing the targets, Ani remembered her only loss at the course—to Link—and scowled even more. She was not to be bested by a mere bird! She simply would not allow it!

Ani continued to act as though she was sulking. The tahscytes, sand colored birds with red eyes and red tipped wings, looked at her beadily. There were about five of them in the pin at the moment; the rest were delivering mail or doing other things. Ani let her eyes go unfocused and her ears prick up, listening. She knew this gave her glazed look, and that was exactly what she was going for. In ten minutes one of the tahscytes had approached her. Ani let it stay there, and then move away. She waited until this had happened six or seven more times, then, when the next bird approached her, she was up in a flash, and she managed to grab three long tail feathers.

"Hah!" she cried triumphantly. Her quick movements had even made the tahscyte trainers jump, and they all laughed appreciatively.

"Nice one, Ani," one of the women said, opening the door and allowing Ani to exit the pin. "You do realize they're not even going to look at you for months?"

"Course I do, this was important, yeah?"

"Yeah, I comprehend."

"See you later."

"_Aybio_," the Gerudo woman said, using the term for goodbye. "Good luck with whatever you're doing, try not to kill anyone, eh?"

"Ah, hush." Ani smiled to herself as she got back on her horse. For good measure, she shot three arrows in a blind shot, then grinned, knowing from the way they sounded hitting the wood that they had had hit the target. She almost wished Link would try her again at archery, she would win for sure....

On her way out of the valley, she was checked by the guards as a security procedure. Ani smiled a little, knowing that Ganondorf would have a hard time getting her valley _now_.

- - -

"So, and you can trust me on his one, he really is telling the truth, and even the ghosts said Ganon wasn't here anymore...."

"All right, I believe you, but I'd hate to think the kid is scared of me. He is, isn't he?"

"I'm afraid so," Johan said, shaking his head a bit.

He and Darunia were talking in Darunia's room. The Goron had just finished searching the lower portion Death Mountain, having searched the upper portion the day before, and he had been about to leave for the Inn when Johan showed up. Funnily enough, there was no scene or attacking, just an explanation, of which Johan was growing tired of. He was a patient person, but by now he was sick of having to explain things over and over.

"Listen," said Johan, "Do you know what 'hot rock' is? I had a feeling it was magma or something, but that doesn't make sense for a potion ingredient...."

Johan now had to explain about the potion, and what they needed it for. Darunia frowned.

"I have it. I have the only one. But...."

"Yes?"

Darunia found a set of drawers and rummaged through them. He found what he was looking for and held it out to Johan , so that he could see.

Before them was the Goron's Ruby, glowing a soft red and gleaming in the light of the torches hanging on the walls. Johan frowned.

"That presents a problem. We can't use that in a potion!"

"I know. But if it is the only way to find Link, then we do indeed have a problem."

Johan studied the rock carefully. "I have an idea. We could just take a chip off of it. Not a big one, a really small one. If you take it off the side and not the corner, it won't even be noticeable."

"Take a chip off of this?" Darunia asked, looking thunderstruck. "I'm responsible to protect it with my life!"

"You do owe Link a favor...."

"I am sorry, it's not happening. No way. I won't do it!"

"Come on, it won't even looked damaged...."

"I said no. I won't do it. No matter what you do, this rock is staying in one piece!"

- - -

"Did you get it?" Malon asked anxiously as Johan exited the village.

He sighed, shook his head, and smiled. Then he held out something small and red, no bigger than his fingernail. "It took a little convincing, and I'm ashamed to say a guilt trip, but I did manage to get it in the end. Please, ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies. Let's get going."

"What do we need next?" asked Wes.

"Aaah...mud crystals."

"Why didn't you say so?" Kara said, a cheerful note in her voice. "I know what those are!"

"You do?" Malon asked, mouth open slightly.

"Sure, I go diving for the cheap ones all the time!" Kara grinned, but she rubbed the back of her neck.

"What do you mean cheap ones?" Wes asked suspiciously. "Spill, _sis_, what gives?"

"Well, they're rocks, made out of minerals. They're on the bottom of Lake Hylia and they're crystal clear, pun intended. Only problem is I get the cheap ones and sell them. Cheap meaning they don't come from the very bottom of the lake, so they're not clear and they're not actually the real thing. I bet I could get to the bottom of the lake though!"

"You think so?" asked Johan, frowning. "That's a pretty long way down, and I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I can do it," Kara said confidently. By now, it was getting dark, and the sunset made the mountain change colors, giving the brown rock hues of pink and purple.

"Can you do it in a hurry?"

"Sure can. Just let me go home and get dressed."

They stopped by Kara's house to let her change into a swimsuit, then they rode horses to Lake Hylia.

It was twilight by the time they got to the lake. They dismounted their horses, and walked across to the surface of the lake.

"Now I ain't never went this deep before, so it might take a few tries, especially since it's dark, but I'm pretty sure I can do it. Don't come after me unless I've been gone for more than four minutes."

With that, Kara took another deep breath, shucked her denim pants, and dived into the lake.

The water was cold at first, but as usual, she got used to it in no time flat. The weather was warm, and she was fine. She came up once, drew in some air, then began to descend. After about three quarters of the way, her lungs began to burn in need for air. Normally, she would take it slowly, go back up and come down, but she needed to do this quickly, so she pressed herself further, drawing out her switchblade as she did so. She would need it to pry the stones loose from the earth.

Finally she could take no more. Her fingers brushed by the clear stones, but she had to go up then or she would die. Her arms pumped smoothly, but with a frantic speed as she reached the surface of the lake.

"Three and a half minutes," Wes stated. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," gasped Kara. "I can do it this time. Just need to go from the other side, so I won't have to swim as far."

Johan walked with Kara to the other side of the lake to supervise, telling Malon and Wes to watch the horses. He wouldn't have left them alone, but he trusted no one but himself to make sure Kara did not drown.

Malon sang softly to the horses to keep them calm. Wes listened a minute, then got the nerve to say, "You have a really nice voice."

Malon smiled. "Thanks. It's okay, but the horses seem to like it. Night is my favorite time to sing anyway...people say that the stars are souls in heaven, and I hope that...my mother can hear me, wherever she is. She taught me to sing...I want to make her proud. Besides, stars are so pretty! You know?"

Wes smiled. "Yeah. Maybe my dad's up there looking at me. Wonder what he'd think, if he could see me."

"I know what you mean."

Normally, Malon didn't like talking about her mother, not even to Zelda. Normally, Wes didn't like talking about his father, to anyone except himself. But these words were exchanged comfortably, because Wes and Malon both understood what the other felt like, losing a parent.

"Got them!" Kara's shout from the other side of the lake made the horses stir restlessly. Malon's eyes lit up; they were one step closer to Link. She left Wes with the horses and ran over to Kara, who was holding out the gleaming stones proudly. There were a lot more there than Malon thought they would need.

"I got one for me too," she explained. "I'll be rich. I gotta go back down though," she added, depositing the stones on the edge of the lake.

"Why?"

"Well, I dropped my switchblade...."

- - -

"Oh man," Jai groaned, staring up at the entrance to the Forest Temple. "How we gonna get in there?"

"Well," said Saria, "I can teleport inside with my medallion, but I can only take one of you at the time, and I doubt I'd be up to two trips. That's why it's a challenge to get in."

"Then I'll climb," said Tara. She got out her scimitars, and stuck one into the huge tree, using it as a brace. Hers weren't like most of the scimitars made by Gerudo women; they were very thick and very heavy. Saria winced as the metal hit the tree with a horrible thumping sound, but it didn't go very far in, and, Saria reminded herself, this was for Link. Tara climbed onto the first scimitar and stuck the other one in, reaching as high as she could. She climbed onto that one as well, but she was still too far from the entrance.

"Can you teleport inside and come out here and pull me up?" she asked.

"Sure," Saria said.

Ten minutes later, Jai had pulled Tara into the Forest Temple, and the three of them were looking around in awe.

The Forest Temple had been something to admire in its saddened and weaker state, during the seven years of Ganon's reign. Now, however, it was not something to admire, but something to stare at until one was forced to blink because of the dry eyes.

Jai and Tara were in absolute wonder. The trees which had been bare before were now full of lush green leaves. Where there had once been dirt, with a few blades of grass, the grass now grew thick and soft under their feet like a carpet. The walls were no longer a dull gray, but were now revealed to be made of ivory, glinting in the light from the foggy "sky" of the temple. The vines that had once grew oddly and sparsely on the walls were now thick and patterned, made to climb.

"This is awesome," commented Jai. "Seriously."

"Was it always this pretty?" Tara asked Saria.

Saria smiled sadly. "Eight years ago, this would be ugly compared to what this place once was. It's still recovering. I guess we all are." Her expression died, suddenly replaced by a fierce determination. "Okay, let's find the stuff. What did you say we needed?"

"Fruits of death and traitor's delight. The first one is a poison berry or something, right?"

Saria grinned. "No, your language isn't metaphorical enough. Fruits of death. Basically what death gives you. Kind of like the fruits of someone's harvest or something. Get it?"

"Hey, yeah, that's cool," said Tara. "So what is it?"

"A Weeping Willow tree. Because death makes most people sad, the tree has to be crying, right? What we need is a branch of one so we can take the leaves off without hurting the tree. And no, I am not breaking one off or letting you cut one off. We'll have to find a downed one."

And so they searched. It took them forever. The sky had darkened to a dusky twilight before Jai finally found a downed branch. She plucked the leaves off of it happily and rounded up the others. It was night before they all met back in the center room again.

"What next?" Saria asked.

"Traitor's delight," Jai replied, scanning the room as if the item could pop out at her any second. Tara laughed.

Saria frowned. "We're going to be here all night."

"Why?"

"Well, the plant turns you invisible. Of course, the plant is invisible, too, until someone touches it...."

Tara and Jai exchanged an exasperated glance.

"I hate this job."

"Me too."

- - -

Kara's hand closed over the cool metal of her switchblade, and with a surge of triumph she started to swim back towards the surface, needing air.

On her way up, two deadly looking fish decided to investigate her. She tried to get away from them, but her frantic movements caused them to attack. She couldn't get away. Her ears were pounding. She could not breathe in. She could not.

But finally she was forced to, but instead of the sweet air her lungs craved, she sucked in water, and tried to cough, but to no avail. The last thing she thought before the stars danced in front of her eyes was, _I'm a goner._

Then her world went dark.

- - -

"Kara!" Johan yelled, from the shore of the lake. He watched as two fish attacked her, then as she went limp. He was about to go in after her when a dark shape appeared from nowhere, drove the fish away, and took Kara through the secret passage to Zora's Domain.

"Get the horses," Johan said to Malon and Wes. "Quick, we have to find her."

They rode like the wind to Zora's Domain, and the whole time, their only thought was that this potion was _almost_ more trouble than it was worth.

- - -

Kara's eyes fluttered open and she immediately gasped and coughed. Air, she needed air.

In a few seconds she looked around, trying to figure out here she was at. This place was made of stone and water reflected on every surface. The floors were mossy and slick, and she could hear splashes and running water coming from a place nearby. Kara looked down and realized that her precious switchblade was still clutched in her hand.

"Hello?" Kara called.

"Oh! She's awake! Princess, the girl you rescues has woken up!"

A moment later, a female Zora came walking through the door, which was actually a waterfall that hid the room from outsiders.

"Hi," said the Zora. "Are you okay?"

Kara nodded shakily. She realized that she, like everything else here, was wet. She vaguely remembered something grabbing her by the arm, but only the feel of it, she couldn't remember seeing it happen.

"Where am I? What happened?"

"You're in Zora's Domain. I had to take you here to get you away from the fish."

"You saved me!" Kara said, the fact finally clicking. "Thank you! What's your name?"

"Ruto," said Ruto.

"Kara. Put 'er there." Kara extended her hand and Ruto shook it. "So, how did I get here anyway? The passage?"

Ruto nodded. "Yeah. What were you doing down there?"

Kara took a deep breath, then explained how Link had fallen in a dimension warp, leaving out the reason he was in the forest in the first place, and then she explained about the potion, and how she needed the ingredients to find Link.

"I know Link," Ruto said, smiling. "And I know why he was in the forest, too. I think I forgot to mention I'm the Water Sage."

"Oh!" said Kara. "So that's how you know Link?"

"No, actually, I met him when we were ten, when he needed the Spiritual Stones. He promised to marry me by taking the Sapphire, but...well, he has Zelda now. He thinks my feelings for him are a bit of a joke. He doesn't know that I'm serious. I love him...but if he's happy with Zelda I guess I'll have to live with that." Ruto shrugged sadly.

"Cheer up, I bet lots of guys around here like you," said Kara. She felt bad for Ruto. Surely, loving someone and not even having them know it...it had to hurt.

Ruto smiled. "Maybe. Anyway, I should probably find your friends. They'll be worried about you."

Just then, there was a commotion from outside the waterfall.

"Hey! You can't go back there!"

"Watch me!"

"Wes!" Kara said happily. She ran out of the waterfall to greet him, and found herself in ankle deep water, standing in front of not just Wes, but Johan, as well.

"I'm okay, Ruto saved me," Kara said. "Where's Malon?"

"Waiting outside," Johan answered. He saw Ruto come out from behind the waterfall.

"Hello," she said to Johan. Then she turned to Wes.

Before she could even speak, he interrupted her. "You're a sage, right?"

"Yes."

"So why aren't you trying to kill me?"

"Kill you?" repeated Ruto. "What on earth for? I don't even _know_ you!"

Kara giggled.

"Thank you," Wes said to the ceiling.

- - -

Three in the morning, and they had still made no progress. Jai, Tara, and Saria had searched the top and ground levels of the Forest Temple very thoroughly. They had even redone the ground level, just to be sure. But they had had no luck.

Saria had used her magic as a sage to make sure that all the torches in the temple stayed lit, but there was still very little light inside. The dark temple was still except for the efforts of the two Gerudo women and the Forest Sage, and the occasional nighttime breeze.

Crickets chirped peacefully as Saria stepped back into the middle room, awaiting her companions. Her eyes were bright in the starlight, and the wind ruffled her hair as she sat down, exhausted from the day's efforts.

A moment later, Tara joined her. The Gerudo sat down beside Saria without a word; she too was exhausted.

They didn't wait long until Jai showed up. She just shook hr head. She hadn't found it.

"Well, there's good new and bad news," Saria said hoarsely.

"Good news first," Jai pleaded.

"Only one place left to look."

Tara managed a weak smile. "Bad news?"

"That place is the basement. It's going to be even darker down there...I know because I spent a year of my life there." Saria shivered.

She hadn't ever told anybody exactly what had happened during that year. And, out of respect for her, no one had asked, not even Link. He knew she didn't want to relive it.

She loved the Forest Temple. The original Forest Sage had built it so that it radiated the beauty of the woods in every way possible. They hadn't included the basement, however, and that part of the temple was one that Saria hated and feared. She had spent a year down there, subjected to torture of the body and heart by the merciless Phantom Ganon. She did not want to go back. The last thing she wanted was to go back.

"Are you gonna be all right?" Jai asked, a little hesitantly. Saria nodded.

"It won't be easy...but I can do it. I'm not going to run out of there screaming or anything," Saria said. She lead the way to the trapdoor in the middle of the room and kicked it open, then took a shaking breath and made her way down.

- - -

Wes, Malon, and Johan delivered Kara back to home, safely with her switchblade, but wet. Kara insisted later after her friends had gone—and when her mother started asking questions—that she had fell in the lake. Everyone believed her.

Johan and Wes then escorted Malon to the ranch, where she hugged them both before going to find her father.

Johan asked Wes if he wanted to go home, but of course the answer was no.

The two of them got back to the Inn and met Ani, who was looking very proud of herself and had three long feathers clutched in her hand. Johan put the other ingriediants with the feathers—in a cabinet in the basement—and asked about Tara and Jai.

No one had seen them.

"They must be gone, still," said Wes.

Johan and Ani worried over their late supper, while Wes ate in silence. They shared stories after dinner, Ani telling about her triumph over the "hell-spawn demons," as she called them, and Johan told her about getting the dirt from the grave, and the ghosts appearing. He also told her what they knew of Ganon's plan.

Ani swore creatively, then Johan moved on to the trip up Death Mountain and the chipping of the Ruby. Wes laughed at this, Johan had never explained it fully.

Then, with a little help from Wes, Johan described what had taken place at the lake. He told of Kara being rescued by Ruto and Wes expressed his relief that no one thought him to be Ganon any more. They had a few laughs over that, and then everyone went to bed and slept soundly.

Everyone except Ani. Ani just worried. Where were her friends?

- - -

The basement was dark, except for the two torches that were lit on either side of the ladder. Saria's hands were cold and clammy, and she slipped once on the way down the ladder.

"Start looking," she said when they were all down there, keeping her eyes averted from the cage where she had been kept like an animal. She tried to keep her mind focused on what she had to do, tried to draw it away from the creeping nightmarish memories that were begging to haunt her.

_"Give it to me, stupid girl!"_

_A slap across the face. Blood running down her lip._

_"No!"_

_Another slap. And another. And another...._

Saria swallowed hard and blinked several times. She could cry later. Right now, they were almost done. They had to find this thing.

"Let's go down there," Saria said. "I don't think it's here."

She had to get away from that cage. She remembered what she had said: "I'm not going to run out of there screaming."

Well, she might have.

They all went down into the phantom's chamber and searched. They felt in every corner of the stone room, knowing there was no place for a plant to grow here. There was only one place left in the whole temple they had not looked. Behind the cold metal bars.

"I'll go, I'll do it," Saria said. "I can warp around to anywhere inside the temple, and you can't get past the bars otherwise."

Wordlessly, she touched her medallion. There was a bright flash of green light, and she was gone. Jai and Tara raced up the stairs after her. She was standing in the cage, staring at the metal bars.

She and Link had found each other again after seven years right there. Right there, they had told their stories and cried, clinging to each other for strength. She turned and looked at the wall. It was stained with blood.

"Are you okay?" Jai asked.

Saria nodded. "I'll be fine. I need to look for the plant...."

She began searching, though her efforts were shaky. She had to force her mid away from her surroundings and work hard to keep from going crazy.

_"I have Link. You will give me the medallion or in three days he'll die. I myself will torture him to death, upon King Ganon's orders."_

_"Then you can get your lousy medallion in three days."_

_"Don't talk back to me, girl!" _

_A hard slap across the face, sending her tumbling to the floor. A crack of a whip, and then a blazing feeling upon her skin. Over and over...with each crack, there was a new wave of pain, an intense burning feeling that would not stop._

_"Link...oh please, come back."_

_A single tear, falling and mixing with blood. _

_"You weak little brat!"_

_A strong, vice-like grip on her arm. Squeezing...the pressure was too much. The bone snapped._

_A cry of pain came from her lips. She fell to the floor. And still, it didn't stop. The whip blazed down, again, and again, and again...._

Her fingers brushed over something that she could not see. She felt it, then slowly saw it materialize in front of her. Fighting tears, she touched her medallion at once, and, clutching the plant in her hand, warped away from her metal prison, to the safety and light of the starlit night outside.

Later, after Jai and Tara had left with the ingredients, and she herself was safe at home, she collapsed onto her bed and cried.

- - -

The observatory was still and quiet. Link and Tatl, Zelda, and Kylia, were all taking turns keeping watch with the telescope, looking for the skull kid. Doc had offered to stay up and help, but Zelda had only let him have the first watch; after that, she had insisted that he go to bed; she didn't want to trouble him further, since he was already being generous enough to let them stay in his home all night.

"See anything?" Kylia asked Zelda sleepily as she began her turn.

"Nope," said Zelda, just as tired as her friend. "Yell if you find him."

"Sure."

The position of the stars revealed that it was nearly four am; the sun would be rising soon. Zelda settled on the floor sleepily and began to doze off. Kylia looked through the telescope at the Clock Tower.

At first she didn't realize she was seeing it. A small dot perched on top of the round tower. She probably wouldn't have noticed it if it hadn't stirred slightly. Kylia's breath caught in her throat, it could be him....

She focused the telescope closer and let her eyes relax. She was practiced at this, because of her training in Gerudo Valley. As her vision relaxed, the general outline of the shape grew blurry, but she could make out two pinpricks of light. One was purple...the other was white.

The dot stirred again; the figure had turned. Kylia saw two more pinpricks of light. They made her shudder. They were glowing yellow, just like Ganon's eyes had, on the fateful day, months ago....

But they were not the eyes of Ganon. They were the eyes of the skull kid, glowing horribly beneath Majora's Mask.  
  
**AN: **Bleeeh. Okay, so it didn't ALL happen in Hyrule. Shoot me. Anyway, again, sorry for the long wait, you guys. : ( Makes em sad. PLEASE reveiw me, I really really want a reveiw for some reason, get me. Normally I don't mind an incredible amount one way or the other, but I'm losing my mind lately so I'm allowed to do stupid stuff. Anyways here are the reveiw responses:  
  
**Blowfish:** Omg, I am THE biggest hippy in the state of SC. I love those bands! Especially the Temptations. Woo! And I'm sorry if the Kokiri thing made you sad. But I'm into happy endings (yet I'm the best at writing angst Oo') so it shoudl be okay in the end.  
**DiscoDude7:** Hah, I just realized your name is DISCOdude. Lol, that's a bit silly of me. I'm glad you liekd Doc. n.n  
**aqua seafoam shame:** You call that long? Oh dear. ::looks at some of my OoT chapters:: This chapter was actually a bit on the short side. Not by much, though. My ideal chapter is six thousand words, my usual chapter is five thousand, and my shorter ones are three or four, so yeah. This is getting completely irrevelant; I'ma shutup, k?  
**Zelda Freak:** Wow, thank you. n.n Yes, I have AIM, I'm "ThePeaceOutGirl".  
**Hikari:** Lol, "disco-hippy"? As oposed to a tree-hugging-hippy, I guess. n.n Glad you liked the chapter. n.n  
**Greki:** Hey, a reveiw is a reveiw right? Don't apologize for not saying anything different, that's like aplogizing for the sky being blue all the time. n.n I know this wasn't soon, either, and I'm sorry.  
  
So that's it! Please **PLEASE** leave me a reveiw! I love you all, peace!


	12. Chapter Eleven: And It All Comes Falling

**Author's Notes: **Drama drama drama. Way too much of it. Well, it all ends today. At least, the first cycle does. Oh well, enough blabbing. I got nothing to say. Oh, except thank you for the reveiws!

Here's the chapter! Enjoy it!

Chapter Eleven: And It All Comes Falling Down....

"Guys!" Kylia hissed. "Guys, I found him! _I found him!_"

She didn't want to move, afraid she might lose sight of her target, but it was her instinct to be quiet at night; after all, she didn't want to wake up Doc.

"Zelda!" she said, a little louder. "Get up!"

But her friend was fast asleep. Kylia risked getting up from her place at the telescope to wake her, but she knocked over the chair. It crashed to the floor loudly. Zelda stirred a bit, but Link and Tatl kept snoring. Kylia rolled her eyes and walked over to them to wake them up.

A door creaked open. Kylia turned around, and saw that she had indeed woken up Doc.

"What's with all the hoopla?" he asked, sounding grumpy.

"I found him!" Kylia hissed, then shook Zelda awake.

"What?" she mumbled.

"He's on top of the Clock Tower! C'mon, wake up, let's go!"

"Hold it, missy," Doc said. "You can't go running off to the Clock Tower like that."

"And why not?" Zelda demanded, now fully awake. Everyone seemed to forget about Link and Tatl.

"Well, for one thing, if you're going to try and drop gloves with the guy who's bringing down the old moon up there, you'd best use your noggin first, you can't go running in without any kind of plan. Second of all, the Clock Tower closed to all residents last night and won't be open again until after the carnival."

"WHAT?" Zelda screeched, waking up Link and Tatl.

"What the hell is going on?" Link asked. "Zelda, are you—damn, Tatl, ask her if she's okay."

"Huh?" muttered Tatl sleepily. "Oh, Zelda, Link wants to know if you're dying or anything important like that...."

Zelda rolled her eyes. She started to say something rude, but Kylia cut her off.

"Link, we found the skull kid, but he's on top of the Clock Tower and—"

"And it's sealed up tighter than a drum, kids. No way in."

"There is too a way in!" Tatl said. "At least for me. Unlike you bozos, I can fly."

"That doesn't help us," Zelda snapped. "We'll have a good chance of getting in while it's still dark. Dammit, get up! Let's go!"

"Right," said Link, and he got up, promptly lost his balance due to his wooden body, and fell back down, cursing. Tatl grabbed him by his cap and attempted to pull him up, but all she succeeded in doing was removing his cap, which he snatched away angrily from her once on his feet again.

_I'm coming, Navi,_ Link thought, as the sun began to peek over the horizon. _And I'll be damned if it doesn't end today._

- - -

Malon stirred just before the crowing of the cucco. Why had she woken up?

Oh, yes. Link was missing, and today they would make the potion to find him...and Ganon.

Of course, they would find Zelda and Kylia too. They had to. This potion had to work. It just had to work.

Malon got dressed and went down in the kitchen, receiving a huge shock when she saw her father there, already making breakfast.

"Morning, Dad," she said. "Why're you up so early?"

"I could ask you the same," Talon said.

Silence. Then her father spoke again, his tone of voice quite different.

"He's only my nephew by marriage, but that doesn't mean I can't worry about him, and the others. They're all my family."

"I know, Dad. They're my family, too."

- - -

Saria had never really gone to sleep. She had lay awake in the bed, just thinking. When dawn finally came she let out an audible sigh of relief; her imagination had fooled her into thinking that the night would never end.

She put on a fresh change of clothes, composed herself, and convinced Mido to walk with her to the Market, where she knew they would be making the potion.

"There really is no point to this," Mido said to her on the way. He had only left the forest once before; on Link's birthday, and then he really hadn't got a chance to see what the outside world could offer. He had hesitated at first—Saria was in trouble because she had let herself get attached to the world outside. But she was truly happy with what it had to offer, and if he didn't take the chance, he might never be truly happy either.

He was the happiest when spending time with her. However reluctant he might be, he would let her show him what life could be like.

He had seen the places they passed before, on the date of Link's Knighting. But that seemed ages ago—this was much more different.

It was the same culture shock Link had experienced when he first walked into the Market, at ten years old, and though Mido knew it, he would die before saying so. The sights, the smells, and sounds, and by the Goddesses, the color! There were so many different colors it hurt to look all at once.

There was a deep red cloth covering a pastry stand, and the light from the sun—a light that the trees of the forest usually his from him—shone through the material, turning everything under it a shade of crimson. There was a small girl in a bright yellow dress; the color reminded him of the sun itself, it was painfully bright.

The peacefulness of the forest was unheard of here. Everyone was talking to everyone else, each trying to be heard over one another. Salespeople were calling out to passerby about their goods, and people were fighting over the best bargains. Dogs were barking, children were crying, and music was playing over the roar of the crowd from a nearby restaurant.

They wandered around a bit before turning back around and going to the Inn, Mido insisting all the while that he was coming because she made him. Saria saw through it, but gave no sign. She walked in the front door, Mido trailing behind her.

"Hello?" she called.

Johan came up from the bookcase a few seconds later. "Hi," he said. Then he grinned. "You couldn't sleep either, huh? I guess you guys stayed out pretty late, we stayed up all night worrying about Jai and Tara, and then they made one heck of a noise coming back in."

"Do they ever stay at their own houses?" Saria asked, giggling.

Johan smiled a little, pulling out two chairs for the children and pouring everyone some orange juice. "Sometimes they do, but mostly, no."

Mido eyed the glass of orange juice carefully. "What is this?" he asked.

"Oh, it's kind of like punch, you know, the stuff you had at the castle. But this tastes a lot better, it's called orange juice," Saria told him.

"But it's not orange, it's yellow!"

"Try it, it's much better than water and berry juice."

Mido took a sip and a rare grin passed over his face. "It _is_ good."

Johan coughed a little to hide his smile.

"Do you have all the stuff?" Saria asked him.

"Yep, it's downstairs, let me go get it."

Johan pulled back the bookcase again and disappeared.

"This...is really, _really_ good," Mido said. As it always was when he was around Saria and no one else, the sneer was gone from his voice, he was a normal person who did not hate everything around him. "What did you say it was called?"

"Orange juice! Oh, you've got to try eggs," she said. "They're really good, too."

"Eat an egg? But that's disgusting! I've smelled bird eggs after they sit, and I don't want to eat one."

"Cucco eggs," Saria said, her eyes shining. "You cook them and they taste great."

"What's a cucco?"

"A demon," Saria said, growing more excited by the minute. The prospect of showing Mido this new world, where everything was so much different, was making her feel like a true child, a feeling she hadn't felt since Link was a very small boy.

He was getting pulled into the trap, just as she had. The outside world was dangerous, he remembered, but it seemed so beautiful, so unique. How could anything so wonderful be bad?

"A demon?" he repeated, sounding skeptical.

"Yes, I met one at the ranch, that's a place where they keep animals, and cuccos really are terrible. The have razor sharp claws, and feathers that can choke you, and razor sharp beaks—oh, but not nearly as bad as cows, even Link is afraid of those—wait till you meet a horse, they're so big—"

"Cuccos are not demons, Mido," said Johan, coming back up from the bookcase. He had met Mido at Link's birthday party, and knew who he was; he had heard enough from Link to put two and two together; Mido was a bully. But at the moment, he seemed like a normal kid, experiencing a culture shock.

"They're not?"

"Of course not. Saria's exaggerating. Cuccos are just birds."

"Demons," Saria said stubbornly, a playful glint in her eyes, sounding more than ever like the child that lived within her.

"Can I have some more of this stuff?" Mido asked. The sneer hadn't returned to his voice since Johan had entered, but he was still feeling cautious. He had never trusted anyone except Saria.

"Help yourself," Johan said, chuckling.

He put a sack down on the table. Saria peered inside.

"Can I look?"

"Sure."

Crystal stones, as pure as the bottom of the lake. Sand colored feathers, tipped with red on the end. A large bottle of dirt. Several leaves from a weeping willow, sealed inside a plastic bag. A small chip of red rock, wrapped in paper. An uprooted flower, changing colors, that had previously been invisible.

A bottle full of a golden liquid.

Saria shuddered in disgust when she came across this object and refused to touch it. Johan tactfully asked no questions.

It wasn't long before everyone came downstairs. Jai, Tara, and Ani all helped themselves to breakfast, and seated themselves around the objects. Then Malon showed up, accompanied by Talon. Malon's eyes were driving Saria crazy—no one alive had those eyes except for Malon and Link.

Wes woke up very late, distinctly grumpy. He tried to get along with everyone, but he didn't like crowds, and he was not a morning person. He snapped at everyone except for Johan, Malon, and Saria, at least three times, hurriedly apologizing afterwards.

"Saria, Mido," Johan said. "Would you two go up to the castle and find Impa and Rauru, please?"

Both of them were eager to see the castle, so they agreed.

It was an enjoyable trip. They each spent a few rupees on some pastries, which Mido liked almost as much as he liked the orange juice, and continued down the rocky path to Hyrule Castle, standing tall and proud over the land that was finally at peace.

_At peace?_ Saria thought numbly. _No, we're not quite there yet. We have to heal our wounds first, so that we don't end up with scars. _

Saria's hand unconsciously found a place where the whip of Phantom Ganon had cut into her arm. The scar was tiny, and barely visible. But it was there.

_And we have to get rid of Ganondorf...for good._

Saria and Mido approached the front gate. Saria was relaxed; Mido, on the other hand, seemed nervous. The castle rivaled some of the tallest trees he had ever seen, and, living in the forest, that said something. He was staring up at it with wonder.

Yes, he most definitely liked this new world. He had fallen into a trap that had been set ahead of time, one that he swore he would never fall into. But, at the moment, he couldn't have cared less.

"Okay, punks, whatcha need?" the guard asked cheerfully. His tone of voice was teasing, so neither of the children were offended.

"We gotta see Impa and Rauru," Saria stated. "I know I look like a kid, but I'm actually the Forest Sage, and this really is important."

"Sure thing, but I'm not to let you in on that request unless you can prove it."

Saria got out her medallion and showed it to the guard.

"Okay, you're in. Don't pull any cute stuff on my watch."

Saria grinned and shook her head. She and Mido walked along the path leading up to the front gates of the castle. She could see a balcony from here. The same balcony that the ten year old Zelda had been on that fateful day, brushing her hair. The very first time she felt the chills that Ganondorf caused.

Always Ganondorf. Why, oh why, did her mind keep going back to Ganondorf?

- - -

The sun peaked over the horizon. The sky was a dull gray, but it changed colors quickly as the sun rose. On top of the Clock Tower, the skull kid's shadow was long from the rising sun, and eerie.

"It won't be long now," he whispered. "It won't be long. Finally, it can end...."

"Do something!" Navi shouted to Tael. "You have to do something! Let me loose, find Link, anything!"

Tael remained still, shuddering.

"Tatl," he whispered. "I'm sorry I'm not as brave as you are, Tatl...."

"Stop this!" Navi yelled at the skull kid. "Stop it now!"

"Stupid fairy," snapped the skull kid. "The end is coming. I'm ready for it. I have already begun this. Even I wanted to, I could not stop this."

The eyes of the mask glowed dangerously.

"It won't be long, now...."

- - -

"...got the stuff for the potion, and they want you two to come, please," Saria said politely. "Rauru has to mix the potion, and, well, Impa, you should be here too, since we're going to find Zelda."

Mido elbowed Saria.

"What?" she hissed.

"Don't you think the king would wanna come too?"

"He can't," sighed Impa. "He's made himself sick from worry. Literally. We had to give him something so he could sleep...."

"Oh., wow, I'm so sorry," Saria said, her eyes widening. "Is he gonna be okay?"

"If we find Zelda, he is."

"Then let us go," Rauru said, sweeping out of the room.

Saria grinned. "Couldn't have said it better myself."

- - -

They were at the door of the observatory when it happened.

A huge explosion caused the walls to shake, and several of the odd scientific instruments fell down from their shelves. Doc yelled; so did everyone else. They all ended up on the floor. Then Kylia rushed up the stairs to see what had happened, her companions at her heels.

"God damn it—you kids okay?" Doc asked, as he saw them come up the stairs.

"Fine," said Link, who still had trouble maneuvering his wooden body up the steep flights of stairs. "You?"

"Oh, I'm just peachy," Doc said, only a little sarcasm in his voice.

"What the hell _was_ that?" Kylia asked. "Not the moon?"

"No way, we'd all be dead right now," said Tatl. "Hey, what's she doing?"

For Zelda had walked over to the telescope and was now trying to peer through it. She looked back apologetically at the group. "Busted," she said.

Doc cursed and went over to look. "Ah, it ain't busted up too bad," he said. "It'll just need a few repairs. Too bad I don't have the time."

"Why don't you evacuate?" Link asked.

"It's _not_ gonna fall," Tatl muttered dully, but no one heard her. She decided to look around a little, dimly aware of the conversation behind her. She wanted to find the cause of the explosion.

"Well, son," said Doc, "I'd have to get a few countries over, that's how far the explosion'll go when it comes. I couldn't've got that far in three days, can't get that far now. I'm an old man. I've had a good, rich life. If the powers that be decide it's time for me to go, then I guess I won't argue. It's all the young'uns that make me sad. Kids still have lives to live. They still gotta have a chance."

Tatl wandered to the back door, the one that went outside, and not back to Clocktown. She could smell smoke.

"Can't you hide underground?" Zelda's voice was tight and worried.

"Won't do no good, we'd probably suffocate when the buildings all went down."

Tatl opened the door—it had a knob, but not a round one—and flew outside, leaving it open a crack so that she could still hear the voices coming from the observatory. She gasped when she saw the moon. It was closer than ever, leering down angrily at her.

_Not gonna fall,_ she repeated to herself firmly. _Maclar's a chicken. He's not gonna do it._

"But couldn't you try? Better that than dying for sure, isn't it?"

The smell of smoke was stronger, now. Tatl looked around, sniffed, and flew to her right. When she got around the building, she could see that some of the ground was burnt.

"Missy, if that moon's falling there's gonna be some damn good fireworks. And I want to see something pretty as I go. I'll fix up this telescope and you can bet I'll have a front row seat."

"So you're not afraid?"

"I am afraid," Doc said gently. "But I'm only one person, gal, I can't fight it. And you know what they say...if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

Tatl frowned and flew further around the building. Something here was emitting a soft blue glow.

She came upon a tear shaped jewel, about the size of a rupee. It was in the center of the blackened ground, and it had sank into the dirt by three or four inches.

"_Hey!_" Tatl shouted. "Guys, c'mere, I found something!"

Everyone in the observatory came running out of it. Doc was the first to see the jewel.

"I'll be dammed," he said. "A moon's tear! I should've known, it's the third one this week. They always come flying down this time of year."

Link walked over to the stone and tried to pick it up, but even his numb wooden fingers knew when something was too hot to touch, and he dropped it right away, noticing with a mixture of horror and aggravation that his fingers were black where the stone had touched them.

Doc chuckled as he heard Link swore. "I'll help you with that, hold on one second."

He walked to a nearby pump and bucket, and doused the stone in water a few times, until it had stopped hissing. Then he himself picked it up, and handed it to Link.

"Don't you want to keep it?" Link asked.

"What am I gonna do with it?" Doc asked with a smile. "I have plenty already. You folks keep it, and don't forget about this geezer, you hear?"

The look on his face was heartbreaking. It was the look of a dying man.

- - -

"Is it done yet?"

"No."

Saria sat back on her chair with an impatient sigh. She wanted to see where Link was!

"Not much longer," Rauru added, sensing her restlessness.

Everyone was gathered in the front room of the Inn, watching Rauru mix the potion in a large bucket. There was a shallow pan beside him, which he said he would need when he was done.

First, the water and dirt had gone in. Their potion had been nothing but mud.

Then, in went the sweet poison. Rauru had added more water, which had started to boil. He crushed the plants and the stones, and tossed them in. Then came the feathers. They hissed as they dissolved.

Then he threw in a chip of red rock, and added more water. The whole thing began to hiss and emit green sparks. The liquid was a dull blue and smelled of foul mushrooms. Rauru stirred.

"Done," he announced. Everyone leaned forward and watched with fascination as he poured the mix into the pan.

"That's where the picture will be," he said. "The wider the pan the more we can see."

No one answered. They all waited with baited breath.

"All right," said Rauru. "This may take several hours, as we'll be searching every time and place that ever was or will be. Just be patient. It _will_ work." He chanted something in Old Hylian, and among the words, the name Link was heard.

"What did that mean?" Malon asked.

Rauru didn't take his eyes off of the pan, though he did answer. "'Search all times and locations, in every dimension that has ever been or ever will be. Objective: Link.'"

There was nothing they could do now but wait.

- - -

"Please, I really do need to get by, it's very important," Kylia said. She was arguing with the man guarding the door to the Clock Tower.

"You still haven't told me why," the man said. "You can't go in there without a damn good reason, not until after the festival. I'm sorry, but if you go in I lose my job and my family goes hungry."

They had all decided to take a turn at going in. If even one of them made it in, they could help the others. Right now, however, Kylia was taking too long with her turn; she refused to give up.

"She's going about it the wrong way," Zelda said to Link and Tatl. They were all watching from a distance.

Link and Tatl had taken their turn first, attempted to sneak in six times, and they were thrown out brutally each time they were caught. There was an extra guard inside, watching the townsfolk set up the fireworks. There was also, though no one knew why, a guard standing on a wooden platform high above the hustle and bustle of Clock Town. There seemed to be a door there that no one could see.

It was after noon by now, and when Link suggested trying to sneak in again while Kylia distracted the guard, Zelda objected, and pointed out that the guard and Kylia were both right by the door; Link and Tatl would not go unnoticed.

Finally Kylia started swearing. Zelda rolled her eyes.

"There go her chances of getting in."

The man said something else to Kylia, and the look on her face stated quite clearly that she would like to hit the man. She made a rude hand gesture and stalked away, back towards Zelda. She looked furious.

"What did he say?"

Kylia shook her head. "I'm not about to repeat it. He said it because I'm Gerudo, though. Racist bastard."

"We'll have to wait until the shift change before I try," Zelda said. "He's so mad by now he'd block Nayru herself from getting in."

She sighed. It was going to be a very long day.

- - -

Rauru's eyes were closed; he was fixed over the pan of potion, muttering under his breath. He looked as though he too was trying to help search the universe for Link.

It was sunset. The day was passing rapidly, but none of them had moved from the place where Rauru was working the magic of the potion.

They all watched pictures of different times and places pass through the pan. In one place, there was a pudgy man in red kissing a blonde woman wearing pink and a crown. In another, primitive looking people wearing furs danced around a campfire. Large creatures made of metal and steel exploded before their eyes. A large boat, labeled the _Titanic_, hit something huge and made of ice. Several people in odd looking suits placed some sort of flag on a rocky surface. Orbs of light were visible behind them. A large creature that looked like a fox was flying over the ocean, using two tails as propellers.

And all of the images were without sound. They were just images.

Malon gasped as she saw Kokiri Forest. Rauru's eyes snapped open.

"I asked for all time. I suppose I'll have to shift through these until I reach the current Link. I can't risk going too far into the future, that could be dangerous."

Everyone saw Saria with a two year old Link...then a five year old Link...then nine...then they saw the Sacred Realm. All blue. They saw Link, at ten, sleeping. They watched him grow into an adult.

They saw flashes of different areas of different temples and places. Lon Lon Ranch, the ruined Inn....

A cage in the dark basement of the Forest Temple...a figure in green fell off of a steep ledge, landing without a sound...a burned Zora sat in a block of red ice, its empty eye sockets staring out at them all....something green fell down through darkness, landing in a pit of dead rot.

Sands swirled around a brown building...a Gerudo woman with her hair in a braid was battling fiercely with a figure in green...a cloaked figure was being held at swordpoint....

Johan drew in his breath sharply as the pictures continued to flash by.

A collapsing tower, Link frantically digging through the rubble and unearthing Ganondorf's corpse...a pair of glowing yellow eyes....

It began to slow down. Link could be seen at the castle, and then at the Lost Woods, accompanied By Zelda and Navi. This was it!

"Slow down!" Rauru commanded. The picture in the pan was now of Wes being held at swordpoint by Link, but it was happening quickly, as if time itself had speeded up. Wes himself, who was also watching the process, made a crude remark.

"We're not there yet," Malon protested, as Wes and Link began to exchange information, with frowns on their faces. "This was days ago."

"If I go any further, I might go too far," Rauru explained. "If I do that the consequences could be catastrophic."

More waiting.

They were tired of waiting.

But it was all they could do. The events continued to happened, but at a quicker pace than what had truly been. They watched as Epona ran off, watched, as Link and Zelda fell through darkness, and as Link took the form of a Deku Scrub...they watched as the moon began to direct itself towards Termina, at a rapid rate....

"No," breathed Saria. She was shaking. "Oh, no...."

- - -

"About time," Zelda growled. The man at the door had finally changed places with another man. Now they could try again. It was night now, nearly midnight, and the moon seemed to be smirking at them all, as if daring them to try and stop it. The light from the stars had been blocked by the horrible orb that sneered down at them all.

"Now let me try," Zelda said. "I know just how to do this."

Link and Kylia watched with smirks on their faces as Zelda contorted her face into a troubled look. She started asking several people different questions, but they couldn't hear her from where they stood (in the doorway to West Clock Town.)

Finally Zelda made it up to the guard and started questioning him. Tatl flew a bit closer and managed to hear what she was saying.

"...and, I've searched all over town, and I'm sure it must be in there. Sir, please, if you'd just let me in for a moment, to look—that purse has all my money in it. Without it, I'm broke! I have nothing!"

_Damn, she's good_, thought Tatl. She reported to the others what was going on, and, as they watched, Zelda finally managed to convince the guard to move aside. She thanked him and rushed inside.

And stayed inside.

She didn't come back out. For a while, Link worried that she had gone alone, but then realized that Zelda had planned ahead. She did, after all, have the Triforce of Wisdom; she probably had a plan, that would become obvious at any second.

And it did. After a few more minutes, the guard went inside after her, frowning and muttering under his breath. Link, Tatl, and Kylia seized their chance. They rushed inside the Clock Tower after him.

"Hey!" he shouted, as the door slammed shut behind him. The guard that had been at the steps was tied up and gagged. Zelda emerged from the shadows and they made quick work of the other man. The clock was ticking down—it was almost midnight. At midnight, the Carnival would begin. And then the moon would fall.

"It will not!" Tatl said. "For the last time, it goes back up when the Carnival starts! Maclar won't do it, he's too chicken."

"No, he isn't. He's a killer. Maybe the Maclar she knew was a nice person, but now that he has the mask on, he's corrupted! He'll stop at nothing to kill us all and take the whole world with us!"

It was that same voice, the one that had spoken to Link before, in a language only he could understand. The same one that entered his mind whenever Tatl tried to talk them out of turning the situation serious. Link didn't react out loud, as he had before, but tried a different tactic as Zelda and Kylia tied up the guard.

_Who are you?_ he thought silently. _Why do you keep talking in the back of my mind?_

"You have to stop him at all costs. He's on top of the Clock Tower right now. You only have a half an hour before the moon kills everything here! Now, _hurry!_"

Now was not the time to ask questions. Zelda and Kylia were already rushing up the stairs, and, after following them, Link and Tatl met two terrified people on their way down.

"Don't go up there," a man warned them. "We've been up there setting up fireworks since a little after dawn, but all the sudden something wearing a funny mask jumped out at us."

"It nearly killed us," a woman said. "You'd better stay away from up there. And get out of the Clock Tower, too, those fireworks are due to go off at any moment. They'll kill anyone in here."

"I didn't know that!" Zelda gasped, and turned back to the men she had tied up.

But Link was already fumbling with the knots. His wooden fingers were getting on his nerves. Kylia went down to help him.

"Get these men out of here," she ordered. The guards were unconscious, and the man and woman had to drag them out of the door. Everyone rushed upstairs before the people could come back and ask questions.

The fireworks were lit. Kylia gasped when she saw them, and then, in an act of pure nerve, she took the two foot tall rocket with a lit fuse, and threw it with all her might up into the air. It exploded in a shower of multi colored sparks. They heard cheering.

The moon began to rumble.

And out from the shadows stepped the skull kid, holding a bottle in one hand, and Link's possessions in the other.

- - -

"I've got it!" Rauru said. "This is where Link is, currently. By the Goddesses...."

There was the skull kid, holding Navi in what looked like a bottle. Two other fairies were at the scene, and Zelda and Kylia were both shouting, so that together their words mixed and were unreadable. There was a Deku Scrub next to them, who lunged at the skull kid.

"That's Link!" Malon gasped.

The skull kid flew into the air. Link yelled furiously, and said something that no one could understand.

"Give me that ocarina!" Zelda said. "Now!"

"Come get it, bitch!"

"Maclar, stop this!" said an off-white fairy. "Stop it! Stop it! Stop it, now!"

But it could not be stopped....

- - -

Doc stared into his telescope, which eh had repaired after the kids left. He was white faced, waiting for the end. He couldn't have more than five minutes. He had a photograph of his family beside him. Not his biological family—the five little boys that visited him and played with his telescope. He wished they didn't have to die. They were too young. They still needed a chance.

A tear fell down into his wrinkled beard. He wiped it away and kept staring into the telescope. That thing—the one that was flying—its eyes were so awful...so cold....

- - -

"No!" Malon shouted. "We gotta do something! That thing's gonna fall!"

"We can't do anything from here," Johan said, looking pale. By the Goddesses, what would happen to them if they didn't manage to stop it?

But they wouldn't stop it. They couldn't. They would die.

"No, please, stop," Malon said. She started crying into her father's shoulder. Wes was gripping Saria's shoulder. She herself was shaking, looking pale. Johan gripped the chair. Tara and Jai clung to each other. Impa was sweating, looking close to tears. They could do nothing. They were powerless to stop it.

Powerless.

Even as they looked out the window at the night sky, the moon sank out of view. It was going to hit. It was going to kill everyone.

- - -

"Maclar!" shouted Tael. "Maclar, don't do this! Stop it! You're gonna kill everybody!"

"Way to go, Tael!" Navi shouted from her glass prison. "Link! Link, get the ocarina! You can change it! Don't you remember what Zelda almost did after you beat up Ganon? You can do that again!"

But her words couldn't be heard over the cheering and fireworks. The moon grew ever closer.

Zelda formed a spell in her hands and shot it at the skull kid, but the masked figure blocked it as easily as if it were a pebble.

"You think you can stop me?" he screamed. "Look above you, fools! If it's something that can be stopped, then just try and stop it!"

He screamed once more. Power filled his body, rich, beautiful power. He brought down the massive object above with even more force, using all the strength he had in him. He looked up to a distant point in the sky.

"I know you're watching. May all who watch this even be trapped within it forever!"

- - -

"What did that mean?" Wes said unsteadily. "He knows we're watching?"

"Yes," said Rauru, staring out at the moonless sky. "Yes, and with his words, he just cast a powerful spell. The minute that moon hits, we will all die too. 'All who watch this'...."

"So we're going to die with him," Johan stated.

"Yes," replied Rauru in an oddly calm tone of voice. "We're going to die."

- - -

The two fairies that were not imprisoned were now trying to get the skull kid to give up Navi or the ocarina. At least, Tatl was. Tael cowered behind his sister, afraid to face the skull kid.

"Maclar, it wasn't supposed to happen!" Tatl said. "Make it stop!"

"Go away, you stupid fairy!"

He made as if to hit Tatl, but she dodged. Below, Kylia and Link could do nothing but watch. Zelda continued to shoot her most powerful spells up at the masked beast, but it was no use.

Just then, Tael darted out from behind his sister. He flew straight at the ocarina, and managed to knock it out of the skull kid's hands.

"You moron!" the skull kid screamed. He slapped Tael down to the ground. The purple light flickered dimly, then went out.

"Tael! You rotten bastard! I'll kill you!" Tatl began to cry, and rushed down to her brother. His light was off, but a few sparks still lit up his wings.

Kylia, meanwhile, dived for the ocarina. She had not heard Navi's words. No one had.

The moon was now feet away from them. The nose of it hit the roof of the Clock Tower. There was no cheering now. Only screams.

"Kylia!" Zelda shouted. "Kylia! Give it to me! Hurry!"

Kylia scooped up Tatl, who was still crying next to her brother, and then grabbed Link on her way to Zelda. She knew what the holder of the Triforce of Wisdom had in mind, and knew they all had to be touching if they were going to warp to any of the temples.

Link struggled. "Navi!"

So did Tatl. "Tael!"

But Kylia did not let go. There was intense heat, now. There was roaring in their ears. Their vision was blurred with fire.

Zelda grabbed onto her companions. But she didn't play a warp song. She played a different song.

And before they knew what had happened, before they could ask questions, the heat vanished. The fire was gone. Everything was silent. Then there was an earsplitting explosion, and they flew forward into infinity, wind howling in their ears.

**AN:** FINALLY! Eleven goddamn chapters and I FINALLY finished the first cycle of days! Yyyeeessss!  
  
Not only that, but I'm NOT uploading this chapter at midnight! Wow!

Goddesses, I feel so accomplished. I hope the next update will be on Alanai's Story. Writing with young Johan and then old Johan keeps them both in character, lol. Not even remotely revellant. Reveiw responses!  
  
**Hikari no Purinsesu:** It doesn't hurt that much. I'm a tree hugger, I'd know. :p Either way, all hippies rock. Including old Doc. n.n (Hey that rhymes! I'm a poet and I didn't know it!)  
**serenitythefaierikin:** Congrats on becoming a member! I'm glad you liked it! n.n  
**Greki:** Thankies! n.n  
**Blowfish the Monkey Tamer:** Comp deprivation? Aww, that sucks. Good luck with it--I know it can make or break a person. Peace out to you too. :p  
**DiscoDude7:** Happy? :p Don't worry, he's one of my favorites so I'll squeeze him in whenever I can.  
**The Sagittarius Sage:** This isn't very soon...sorry....

Ok, please leave me a reveiw and tell me what you thought! They make me guilty for not updating, which makes me write faster. XP Love and peace, y'all. Byes!


	13. Chapter Twelve: Hell Doesn't Have Clocks

**Author's Notes: **WONDERFUL, FLUFFY, ZELINKY GOODNESS. Lol, sorry. It's just that I could write too much of it while Link was a scrub, and now I wrote a very fluffy lil piece of ZeLink. By the way, you get to find out who that annoying voice was in this chapter too. At least this one didn't take SO long to put up. I know, just shut up, Liz, we've heard enough, just get on with it. Enjoy the chap.

Chapter Twelve: Hell Doesn't Have Clocks

The explosion that took place was massive. It knocked everyone to the floor. Wes, Malon, Talon, Saria, Mido, Impa, Jai, and Tara all swore as they hit the floor. Johan just grunted.

Then wind started blowing. It scattered everything in the room. Papers flew everywhere. The pan was knocked over and its contents spilled through the floor. The room began spinning, and everything was obscured by white.

The whiteness began to fade. They saw things, going backwards. They saw Impa attack Wes, saw Johan go in and out of the bookcase, saw Jai and Tara come in late at night, holding the potion ingredients in their hands....

And finally, it stopped. Everything had gone backwards in a whirlwind of color and a loud rush of wind.

"What was that?" Mido asked. "Are we dead?"

"Hardly," Johan replied. Dying was quite different than that....

"Then what happened?"

The front room was silent. Dawn peeked over the edge of the horizon. They could see the moon. It was still in the sky.

Johan's brain started working. The moon was still in the sky. Which meant that it hadn't fallen yet. So it had either gone back up of it's own accord or—

Johan rushed over to the calendar and looked up the date. Three red marks were missing. Dawn was approaching. The moon was still in the sky.

Johan began to laugh.

He laughed and laughed, like he hadn't in years. He laughed so hard that he had to lean against the wall for support.

"What's so funny?" Impa asked angrily. "Link, Kylia and—and Zelda probably just _died!_"

"'All who watch this,' remember? If they had died, we would have too! They got away! They got away from the moon, Impa! Look outside! Look outside! It's still there! The moon is still there!"

Eight people rushed to the window and gazed upon the moon, still glowing faintly in the predawn sky. Then they began to ask questions.

"What...?"

"How did that happen?"

"I thought it exploded!"

Johan grinned. "Look at the calendar."

He ducked out of the way just in time. Eight people stampeded toward the calendar, and, one by one, the faces lit up in comprehension.

All the faces except for Malon's. She was still crying, sure that her best friend and cousin had died.

"I don't get it," she said. "What happened?"

"They're okay," Johan assured her. "Malon, they're just fine. They turned back time."

- - -

Doc swore as he got to his feet. He had been knocked back by some huge force, and everything had shattered. He had felt the heat.

He couldn't have more than a few seconds left. He rushed back over to his telescope to see the kids who were fighting the demon—and realized that his home was no longer scattered everywhere. He no longer felt the heat.

Yet the moon wasn't at the Clock Tower. And—was that dawn? Yes, the sun was peeking over the horizon...but, only a few seconds ago, it had been midnight...hadn't it?

He did a quick search of the sky. There it was; the moon was perched high in the sky. Somehow, they had managed to lift it back up...or had they? It seemed very unlikely. Not only that, but no one was on the Clock Tower. It wasn't even broken.

"Hi, Doc!"

One of the little boys from the gang came thundering in. He had a red cap on, and was grinning ear to ear. "I made good on my tests yesterday, I wanted to show you!"

"Hello, son," Doc said. He reached for the paper, still confused. "Daryl, this is the same paper you showed me days ago...you woke me up at dawn then, too...."

"No it isn't, I promise. Look at the date!"

"This is dated from four days ago, silly," Doc said, shaking his head.

"Are you okay? That's yesterday's date!"

Doc's eyes widened. "Sonny, this is from four days ago. You came in that door at dawn, woke me up, and showed me this grade. Then you...."

Doc stopped. Daryl had just sneezed. "Sorry, I'm getting over a cold," he said.

"Then you told me about your cold," Doc muttered. "I'm losing my mind. Son, didn't you...didn't you play hide and seek, to let the nice people have the code?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I don't know. Listen, kiddo, I think I'm coming down with something, and since you're just getting better I don't want to give it to you. Why don't you go play with the others, come back later, all righty?"

"Okay," Daryl said, giving Doc an odd look. He left, and Doc sat down. His eyes found his calendar. His experiments. His star charts. It looked as though he had gone back in time, by three days. But that was impossible.

Right?

- - -

Link groaned. Everything hurt. His head, especially.

What had happened?

It hurt to think.

But he had to think. This was important, something was nagging at him, in fact, it was a white something, that glowed—

"Navi!"

Link shot up and all at once knew he would have vomited had it not been for his Deku snout. The pain was unreal.

He was inside the Clock Tower. It was dark out, so there was little light to see by, but he knew his location because of the steady ticking of the clocks, counting away the time until....

"The moon...."

"What about it?" Tatl muttered, from somewhere to his right. He looked around. She was glowing, but just faintly.

"Link, what happened? I remember trying to get to Tael...he was d-dying...Maclar hit him...then Kylia picked me up, and...."

"I dunno what happened. Why aren't we dead?"

"It's all dark in here. Maybe we have died. Maybe this is hell."

"Maybe you're insane. Listen, I hear clocks. Hell doesn't have any clocks."

"How would you know?"

"Is anyone else in here?"

"I don't know."

"Use your light. Fly around. Help me look."

Tatl flew forward two or three inches and then screamed. Her light had illuminated a face of a red haired man, with wild looking eyes and a package on his back....

"Did you get my mask back?"

"Oh," said Tatl. "You're that creep we met on the way here. Same one I stole from...what happened to us? Do you know?"

"Ask her," the mask salesman said, cackling. He pointed to a nearby place on the floor. Tatl flew down and her glow illuminated Zelda's face. Her eyes were closed, and for a moment Link feared her to be dead, but Tatl reported that she was breathing.

"Kylia," Link said. "Where is she?"

The man pointed to another place on the floor. Tatl flew over and looked at Kylia, who was also alive, but unconscious.

Link walked over to Zelda. He shook her gently, and then backed off.

"I'm gonna give her splinters. Tatl, you do it."

"I'm too little."

They were cut off from bickering when Kylia groaned. She stirred and sat up.

"Oh, Goddesses, I must've died and went to hell...wait, Tatl? S'at you?"

"And Link, too," she said.

"My head is killing me," Kylia muttered. "Ohmygoddesses, where's Zelda? She isn't in hell with us, is she?"

"Hell doesn't have clocks," Tatl joked, and showed Zelda to Kylia, who shook her awake.

While Zelda was waking up, Link took a few unsteady steps towards the mask man. "Just who are you?" Link asked. "If we're in Clock Tower, why aren't we all dead?"

"My name is Maskeru," the man said. "I'll let your friend answer the second question. When the sun rises, light will come, illuminating the truth...."

And indeed, Zelda did not wake until the sun had fully risen. She groaned just as Kylia had, and then sat up, the Ocarina of Time still clutched in her hand.

She gasped, looking around the Clock Tower. She leapt to her feet.

"Calm down!" Kylia said hurriedly. "You mind telling us what you did? I thought you were going to warp to a temple or something...."

Zelda jumped at the sound of Kylia's voice and for the first time seemed to realize everyone else was there.

"Did it work?" she asked. "The moon...where is the moon?"

Maskeru smiled. "The moon, child, is in the sky. In the same position it was three days ago."

Zelda grinned and sank to the floor, weak with relief.

"Guys, I didn't warp us back to a temple. I...well, Link, you might be a little mad at me...but I made us go back in time. It's all started over."

Link raced to the heavy wooden doors and pushed them open. Sunlight streamed in, making everyone within the Clock Tower wince at the unexpected brightness. Link squinted up at the sky, attracting a few stares from the early risers who were still drinking coffee and hot tea.

"It's there," he stated.

"It's there," Tatl repeated. "Wait, what do you mean it's there?"

She flew out after him and gasped. "Oh! You guys! It's there!"

Link ran back in, smirking. Tatl followed. She pulled the door shut behind her, showing off a strength Link did not know she had.

"So, were you able to get my mask back?"

Jaws dropped. Eyes popped open wide.

"How do you remember that?" Tatl asked. "We went back in time and...."

"The imp has cast a spell upon me," Maskeru said. "He has forced anyone who watched your ordeal on the Clock Tower to be trapped with you. Had you died, I would have. You went back in time. I did too.

"Now...have you, or have you not, managed to retrieve my mask?"

"We didn't get it," Zelda said quietly. "I'm sorry."

"It is quite all right. You can travel through time. You have an eternity to get the mask, for the aging process goes backwards as well."

"Guys, you want to fill me in? I was outta town at this point, if you'll remember," Kylia reminded them.

Zelda turned to Kylia.

"When we first got here, we promised him we'd get his mask back. The same one that stupid skull kid is wearing. He said if we did, he could use this ocarina to change Link back—and he'd tell us how to get home."

"Could you change Link back anyway?" Kylia asked hopefully.

"Please," Link added.

"I'm tired of being a translator!" Tatl said.

Maskeru had an odd smile on his face. "Why should I do any favors for you? You stole my mask, and injured me in the process. You did not return my mask."

"If I'm big," Link said, thinking fast,. "If I'm in my normal form...I can do just about anything."

Tatl whispered what he had said to Kylia and Zelda.

"No lie," Kylia added.

"He's saved a world before!" Zelda said. "Please, if you change him back, we can and will get back the mask."

"Majora's Mask is an artifact of power," Maskeru said, still with that same odd smile. "It possesses those who wear it. It makes them almighty. I'm not sure even a hero of his stature could defeat it."

"I half killed the most powerful man in the world!" Link said angrily. Tatl begin to translate rapidly, word for word, in whispers to Zelda and Kylia.

"I could have killed him if I wanted to, but I was chicken, I guess. He went down in a heap of rubble and I shoved him into the Sacred Realm. He had the Triforce of Power and if I can defeat him when he's like that then I can damn well can get back your fucking mask!"

"Link!" Zelda said.

Link turned, annoyed. "What? Hey, wait, did you understand me?"

"I'm translating," Tatl said. "Look, dude, I'm really sorry I let Maclar get to your mask. I regret it now. I'm gonna try and fix it. But it wasn't Greeny's fault," she said, ignoring Link's comment. "It was mine. So please don't make him pay for it. If you change him back I swear we'll get the mask back for you."

"Go ahead and do it, already!"

The words did not come from Link. Nor did they come from Zelda, Kylia, or Tatl.

They came from the voice in Link's head that had been bothering him the whole time. He gaped as Maskeru frowned and said, "I did not wish for your comments. You have already revealed yourself far too many times."

"If it hadn't been for revealing myself they would have all died. You owe me one and you know it. Change him back!"

Link just gaped silently, but he kept his mouth closed. Zelda appeared to have heard something too, but she looked confused, as if she could not make out the words. She too had kept quiet, as if knowing saying a single word could steer Maskeru's decision either way---perhaps the wrong way.

Maskeru rose his eyebrows. He muttered something under his breath. Then, out of his pocket, he pulled a key.

"I have just locked the iron door that goes back to the dimension warp. This is the key. I want all of you to try and take it from my hand."

Zelda stepped forward and tried to take the key from his hand. Her fingers passed right through it.

"What the—?"

"Next," Maskeru said impatiently.

All four of them tried, but no luck. Only Maskeru's fingers could touch the key.

"I will change the hero back," Maskeru stated. "But I will not let you leave Termina until that mask is safe in my hands once more."

Link let out a whoop and tried to jump in the air, but failed due to his wooden joints. Tatl flew in excited circles and Zelda and Kylia hugged.

"I will need someone to play this ocarina for me," Maskeru said.

Kylia shrugged. "I donno how to play an ocarina."

"I do," said Zelda. She raised it to her lips, then lowered it again. "What am I playing?"

In the blink of an eye, a piano appeared in the dusty old Clock Tower. The man played a simple, six note tune on it. The song washed over them all, giving them an odd sense of peace. Everyone let out a sigh.

"What happened?" Zelda asked.

"I just played the song you must play to change him back. It is an ancient Ikanan song that heals all who hear it. Played by a magical ocarina, its power is tenfold," Maskeru said.

"Play it again, please," Zelda said.

The man played the six notes again. The piano vanished as Zelda lifted the ocarina to her lips.

The clear tone of the instrument sounded six times as she played the song. Peace swept over them all, but Link began to feel strange. His whole body began to tingle, as if recovering from numbness. And, as he watched, his fingers grew longer, and turned to flesh instead of wood. His snout became a nose and mouth. He got taller.

And all of the sudden, he was himself again.

Kylia and Zelda were both grinning. Link felt something covering his face. He reached up and felt wood. For a moment, he was fearful something had gone wrong, but then a mask fell away from his face, making his bright blue eyes visible once more.

The first thing he did was laugh. Then he ran over to Zelda and Kylia and hugged them both.

"Thanks a lot," he said to Maskeru. He reached down and picked up the mask.

"I have a few questions," Link said. "Who is that person who keeps talking to me? And what is this mask for?"

"It is a long story."

"We have three days," Zelda reminded him.

"Sit down."

All of a sudden, four comfortable looking chairs appeared. Everyone took a seat—Tatl sat on the arm of Link's chair.

"The mask," Maskeru said, "is a spirit. When the imp gave you this form, he had just recently set fire to the swamp south of here. Many Deku Scrubs sustained serious burns, though none were killed. Only one had fatal injuries. That Deku Scrub had stumbled into Clock Town, looking for help. He found me instead."

Link didn't like the way Maskeru said the word, "instead."

"Though I knew of nothing that could save his body, I did know of something that could save his soul. I played the Song of Healing and trapped his soul into this mask. On the night of the Carnival, anyone who is in a form such as this can be revived, however, should they not be revived, the spirit moves on to the afterlife, and the mask is empty. Thus, it gets added to my collection," Maskeru said, grinning wickedly.

"Should one don this mask, they share a body with the spirit. The body changes to accommodate both persons in question, but more so to the spirit within the mask. You changed to a Deku Scrub, but, if you'll notice, you kept your green attire.

"The one speaking to you was the spirit inside the mask. He did not speak to you unless he felt it was necessary, though I ordered him telepathically not to reveal himself."

"Why does he take orders from you?"

"Because I saved him. I could hear his voice, and you could. Even the princess could. But you and I understood him, because he speaks Deku."

Link sat back in his chair, stunned.

"I'm stupid. I should've realized it before."

"You're not stupid," Zelda said. "I didn't realize it, and I'm the resident, oh, let's see, Triforce of Wisdom holder, remember?"

"You are a fool," Maskeru said sharply to the wooden mask on the floor. He picked it up. "Well, go on, resume your form."

The mask began to shake. Maskeru let go of it, but it stayed in midair, shaking furiously, until the full body of a Deku Scrub erupted from it.

"I can't do that much, you should know," the Deku Scrub panted. "It takes...a lot of energy."

"What did he say?" Zelda asked.

"Can't you understand him? He's speaking english," Link said.

"No, I'm speaking Deku," said the Deku Scrub. "You can just understand it now because we shared a body. Quicker than learning the old fashioned way, isn't it?"

"Definitely. What's your name?"

"I'm Daeken. You're Link?"

"Yeah."

"It's a pity my english is so terrible. For a Deku Scrub, I speak it wonderfully, but it's barely understandable to people who are fluent in it. Anyway, now that I've proved that Maskeru isn't crazy or anything, I'd really like to go back to being a mask, as weird as that sounds. This takes up a lot, and I do mean a _lot_ of my energy."

"I don't mind," Link said.

"Good," said Daeken. "By the way, in your efforts to get that mask, find your friend, maybe even stop the moon from falling...just know I'll do whatever I can to help, okay?"

There was a flash of light, and Link caught the mask before it hit the ground.

"That was unusual."

"Yeah," said Kylia.

"Take the mask," Maskeru said. "And go. Remember, you are now bound by your word...do not break your promise...get that mask...."

These foreboding words followed Link, Zelda, Kylia and Tatl out of the Clock Tower. It was now noon. Kids played happily, and booths were open. People were building things for the Carnival of Time, and talking merrily.

The moon was still suspended high in the sky.

"We should go visit Doc," Kylia said, seeing the boy in the red cap buying candy.

"Yeah," Zelda said. "He told us not to forget him, and now that we know nobody's going to die unless we forget to turn back time...."

"I want him to remember me as a human, too, not a scrub. No offense, Daeken," Link added hastily to the mask, even though he wasn't sure if Daeken could hear him.

So they went. They told the guard at the gate the "secret code," walked through the passage, and ended up at the observatory. Link still had the moon's tear in his pocket.

"Hello?" Zelda called. "Doc, are you here?"

Doc appeared at the stairs so suddenly they could have sworn he materialized.

"H-hey kids," he stuttered.

Doc thought about the situation. He remembered them. But they might not remember him. Maybe it was best to pretend that he didn't know who they were....

"Don't tell him we turned back time, he'll think we're nuts," Zelda hissed in Link's ear.

Kylia rolled her eyes at them.

"We came to visit you," she said. "The kids outside told us you had a telescope, and we'd never seen one before, so...."

"Oh, you can have a look," Doc said. "Have you had breakfast yet? You want something to eat?"

"I'm starving," Link said. He held out his hand and introduced himself to Doc for the second time. "I'm Link, by the way."

"But he's a—no, I'm sorry, I must've been thinking about someone else," Doc said. He shook Link's hand. "Doc. Pleased to meet you."

Link eyed the man carefully. Had he almost said Deku just then?

Link decided for a test. After getting a whispered approval from Zelda, he dropped the moons tear—accidentally-on-purpose.

Doc saw it and his eyes practically popped out of his skull.

"Where'd you three get a thing like that?"

"You tell me," Link said good-naturedly.

"I asked first," Doc said, chuckling.

"So...you remember all of that?" Zelda asked.

"Sure do," Doc said, looking and sounding relieved. "I thought I was losing my goddamn mind."

Kylia laughed. "You think you were losing your mind? I woke up in a dark Clock Tower. I thought I'd died and was in hell."

"Hell doesn't have clocks," Link said, giving them his childish grin. He picked up his moon's tear and sat down at the table.

They had a nice conversation over their lunch. In fact, they stayed all day, and were all quite amused when the boys Kylia had threatened showed up and didn't even recognize them.

"But why would we know you?" they asked. "Did we meet you before?"

"No, never mind, kids, they're just playing jokes," Doc assured the boys.

After the boys left, Link, Zelda, Kylia, and Tatl began to tell Doc what had happened since they had left Hyrule. They told him that they too came from another world, and that the skull kid had kidnapped Navi. They told him of searching for three days and finally meeting the imp upon the roof of the Clock Tower. They told him of how they had cut it so close in traveling back in time with their magical ocarina. Then they told him about the mask that Link held, and about their bargain with Maskeru, the eccentric old mask salesman.

"So," said Zelda in conclusion, "That's why we have to get the mask back. Maybe getting the mask back will stop the moon!"

"And once he's a normal skull kid, I'm gonna pound him," Link said. "He killed my horse."

They continued to talk through the day, and even stayed for supper. They looked through the telescope again, this time at the stars, and explored Doc's home at their leisure—he had insisted.

It was dark before Zelda finally pointed out that they still had a mask to get.

"Go on and go then," Doc said. "Hurry up now, or the inn will be closed. If it is, just come back here. All of you always have a place here where you can stay."

Everyone thanked him and said goodbye. Then they walked down the passage, back up it, and wound up in Clock Town. The innkeeper, Anju, had almost locked up when they got there.

"Try not to cut it so close next time," she said. "There are pickpockets out at night, near this time of year. Some people have even gotten mugged."

"Sorry," Link said.

They trekked upstairs to their rooms, Link glad he was finally able to reach everything. He set the mask in his room and looked out the window. Clouds were gathering in the night sky, for the rain he knew would come tomorrow.

He went into the room Kylia and Zelda shared. They were sitting on their beds talking. Link sat next to Zelda and listened a few minutes before joining in.

"...get the mask back, and then it'll be no problem to stop the moon," Zelda said.

"I dunno," Kylia said skeptically. "It's the moon, Zelda, not some pebble."

"Yeah, but without his power, the skull kid won't be able to crash it."

"Hold it," Link interrupted. "Why are we going to try and stop the moon at all? Let's get Navi and the mask and get out of here!"

There was a stunned pause.

Link would have, under any other circumstances, tried to figure out a way to beat the odds and keep the moon in the sky. But Link had been there when it almost killed them. He didn't want to take any chances. Zelda was with him, and he loved her. Loved her, too much so than to risk her life to try and stop something that was unable to be stopped.

"Look, don't look at me like that," Link muttered. "If we stay here we'll all die. There's no way we can stop that thing."

Tatl's brain started working furiously. There _was_ one way....

"Link, we can, if we try. We can't let all these innocent people die!" Zelda said.

"Then we'll take them back to Hyrule with us. But we can't stay here!"

Zelda stood up, angry. "I don't know what's the matter with you, Link," she said furiously. "I thought you had a little more compassion than this."

Link stood up too. "Look, if we die we're not going to be able to stop the moon. Zelda, we'd be safer back home!"

"I don't know what's wrong with you!" Zelda shouted. "I thought you had a heart!"

She stormed out of the room furiously. Link followed her until she went outside to the dining area, which was now depopulated. He watched as she went to the second story of the balcony—the third story of the Stock Pot Inn. Then he turned and stalked back to his room.

"Women," he muttered savagely.

"Men!" Zelda said disgustedly, from her place on the balcony.

Kylia came out into the hall and bumped into Anju.

"Excuse me," she said. "I'm sorry, but...the other guests are complaining about the noise...."

"The fight is over," Kylia said exasperatedly. "It won't happen again."

"Thank you," Anju said. She hurried away.

Kylia sighed as Tatl came floating out of their room.

"I'm supposed to play chaperone, y'know," she said heavily to the fairy. "Okay, you stay in the room, I'm going to talk to Link."

Kylia walked three steps to Link's room and knocked.

"Come in," was the bitter reply.

"Hi," Kylia said, entering the room. "So what happened?"

"How should I know?" Link bust out. "One minute we're sitting there like we're okay and the next we're yelling at each other. I just don't want her to get hurt over here. She'd be better off at home."

Link stopped, wondering if he had said too much. Kylia grinned.

"Look, it's really a little...obvious. Why don't you go talk to her, explain that you don't want her to get hurt, and see what she says?"

"She hates me," Link said decidedly. "I'll bet she wants to push me off a cliff or something."

"I doubt it. Look, Johan told me to look after you two and make sure you didn't make idiots of yourselves, but even though you're acting like you're little kids, I'm going to let you work it out on your own," Kylia said, trying her best to ignore the pang she felt when she said Johan's name. She missed him.

"So, like the three year olds we are, we'll go and yell at each other some more," Link said dully. He stood up and walked to the door. "Wish me luck."

"Luck," Kylia replied.

Zelda was gazing out at the sky when Link got up there. She didn't notice him.

He knew she was wondering why he had acted the way he had.

Maybe he should tell her.

Or maybe not.

Link went for the direst approach. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Hi," Zelda said.

"You still mad at me?"

"Just worried."

"Why?"

"Something must be wrong with you. You wouldn't normally want to leave all these people to die...it's why you started in the first place, isn't it? Compassion?"

With a start Link realized she was right. He had never been able to put his finger on why he had saved the Deku Tree to begin with. But now he knew. It was compassion. Compassion, taught to him by Saria, had made him go in and remove the curse, when he had no one to protect but her.

"Nothing's wrong with me," Link said, sighing heavily. "I just...I just got scared. When I thought the moon was actually going to fall, I...I was scared. Scared that I wouldn't be able to protect the people I cared about."

"I was scared, too. I thought I was really going to go. I thought it was over. I thought we were all going to die."

Link stayed quiet. He stared at the cloudy sky, deep in thought. Zelda sensed he was thinking, and she just looked at the sky with him, her eyes avoiding the moon.

Link's mind flew back to the night after the party at the castle. It seemed as though it had been so long ago. He had been happy. Happier than he could ever remember being before. He didn't have a care in the world.

Then they told him Ganon was back.

_"I'm a worrier when it comes to Zelda," Impa said. "Link, don't let anything happen to her...."_

_"I won't," Link vowed. "I'd die first."_

He sighed. She might laugh if she knew that.

_"Do you love Zelda?" Saria asked._

_Yes,_ he thought. _Yes, I love her. I'm just too chicken to say it._

"What are you thinking about?" Zelda asked finally.

"A promise I made to Impa," said Link. "I promised I'd die before I let anyone lay a hand on you."

"You did?" Zelda asked, surprised.

"Yeah."

"Why would you do that? Die, waste your life, just for me?"

Link took a deep breath. "Cause I...I love you, Zel. So much that, well, I-I wouldn't mind dying for you."

Silence. It was killing him.

_Just say something, _he thought. _Anything. Please._

"Zel?"

She broke away from him and turned around. "Really?"

Link nodded, his mouth dry.

Zelda smiled and put her arms around his waist. Their faces were a mere two inches apart.

Before Link knew what had happened, Zelda had leaned a little closer and kissed him.

It was not a quick peck on the lips. It was a real kiss, like the one Ganondorf had forced her to take, only this kiss was not brutal. It wasn't cold, or evil.

Link's hands found her neck and he pulled her closer, not realizing quite what was happening, just knowing he didn't want to stop.

They broke away when they needed air. Link suddenly realized what had happened and his eyes grew wide.

"Oh, damn—Zelda, I'm so _sorry_—"

Zelda smiled and put a finger to his lips. "I started it. You don't have anything to be sorry for."

She leaned in and kissed him again. This one lasted even longer. When they broke away for the second time Zelda was still smiling.

"I love you too," she said.

Link laughed out loud. He pulled her to him, and this time, he started the kiss. As a pattern, it seemed to last longer than the previous two combined.

Tatl was watching all of this from the window. Her eyes had gone wide.

"Sick," she muttered. She flew off to Kylia' room.

"Hey, chaperone," she said.

"What?" Kylia asked.

"I just thought you'd want to know that Pinky and Dodo are outside making out."

Kylia smiled. _About time,_ she thought.

"That's nice," she said vaguely to Tatl She sat down on her bed, and pulled out a book that had been in the room when she got there.

"Aren't _they_ the ones you're supposed to be babysitting?" Tatl asked in disbelief.

"Yep."

"And you're just gonna sit here?"

"Yep."

"And leave them to themselves?"

"Want to join me?" Kylia asked, grinning. She shut the door so Tatl couldn't get out, and went back to her book, still smiling slightly.

Meanwhile, it had started to thunder outside. The rain finally came down, pouring over Link and Zelda in buckets. They laughed, shared one more kiss, and ran inside, holding hands, using their free arms to try and shield themselves from the rain.

They were soaked when they got inside. Zelda looked at Link, dripping, and she started to laugh. Link looked at her, a princess, soaked to the bone, and he laughed too. He kissed her on the cheek and went silently to the door of his room.

"We'll stay if you be careful," he said. "Deal?"

Zelda grinned. "Deal."

"G'night. Love you."

Those words put her on cloud nine. She grinned. "I love you too."

She watched as he went into his room, shutting the door behind him. She felt like she was walking on air on her way back to the room she shared with Kylia. She opened the door and walked in. Then she shut it behind her, walked over to the chest next to her bed, pulled out a towel, and began to dry herself off. Tatl was already sleeping on the windowsill.

When Zelda was dry, she put on her nightgown, noticing that Kylia hadn't said anything, she had only been smiling at her book the whole time Zelda had been in he room. Then Kylia's eyes met Zelda's and she couldn't stop herself from grinning.

"What?" Zelda asked.

"Nothing. You just look happy."

"I am," Zelda said contentedly, falling back onto her bed. Kylia turned out the lamp. "I'm happier than I've been in a long time."

Link, who was in the next room over, could hear her words through the paper thin walls. He smiled as he flopped down onto his bed.

"Me too."  
  
**AN: **Awww! n.n  
  
I'm sorry, I know it was far too fluffy for reason, but I **like** writing fluffly romance! Almost as good as I like writing angst! So hah. It's mah story I can make if fluffy if I wanna.  
  
Anyways....  
  
Sorry if all this bugs ya. nn; Review responses now, so I can quit acting like Dodo and do soemthing useful. nn;  
  
**Zelda Freak:** The best story ever? You lie! Like a redead! And, about the romance, you DID ask for it...hehe...too much for you?  
**DiscoDude7:** I know this is gonna sound dumb, but I've just now realized you took your HM story down, even though you mentioned deleting stories a few reveiws back. Oo' Good Goddesses I am dumb. Anyways, wah! And, yes, Hyrule will also have to do the same three days over and over again. And, yes, they will remember it all. This will come into play and be very important later. You'll see. ::shifty eyes::  
**Hikari:** Well, if she's not translating, she's tattling. True to her name. XD  
**Pata Hikari:** You're like the only one who noticed those! And I didn't think about the machines as Gundam, but I guess that works. The cavemen were supposed to eb from Chrono Trigger, but no one had any way of knowing that, lol, so yeah. I should've put in some more. I think I like easter eggs.  
**Blowfish:** Yeah, he was introduced very briefly a few chaps back. And he is so fucking creepy it's not funny. He gets on my nerves. I'd take him out if he wasn't essential to the story.  
**unnamed namer:** I'm flattered. Seriously, I am. The original is gold, dude. I'm not worthy.  
**The Saggitarius Sage:** Wow...you've never played OoT or MM? I should probably warn you...my versions of these games are VERY twisted. They aren't anything like the original storyline...so don't go play MM and go, "Why the hell is Link a stupid little kid?!" or anything like that, yeah...anyways, I the next chapter will be up sooner than this one was....  
  
Yeah, I do hope the next chap willbe up soon, but it will probably be a chapter in my other story, trying not to neglect either of them is very difficult but I'm doing the best I can. Anyways, thank you for the reveiws, please reveiw again, peace and love and I shall see you all again soon! Bye!


	14. Chapter Thirteen: The Return of Koume an

**Author's Notes:** So, I guess everyone liked the "Dodo" line? Oo' That seems like ages ago....  
  
I have a good excuse for not updating for so long this time though...see, I've been really sick, I got the stomach flu. So don't throw stuff at me or anything...yeah. Anyways, there's not a whole lot of plot movement to this chapter but it is nice and long, so I hope you enjoy. PLEASE leave me a review!!

Chapter Thirteen: The Return of Kotake and Koume

Link woke up very early next morning. The rain beating on the windowpane had woken him up, but he didn't mind. He liked to listen to the sound. He found it relaxing. He buried himself deeper under his blankets and started to drop off to sleep again, but was awakened by a knock on his door.

"What?" he called, a bit irritated. He had never wanted to sleep in more than he did at this point.

"Just checking to see if you were awake yet," Kylia called. "You gonna get up or not?"

"Five more minutes," Link groaned, head dropping back down on his pillow.

"And then I'll send Tatl in after you."

Ahh, peace at last. Link lay on the bed silently, enjoying the rain, thinking lazily about the night before.

He grinned. She loved him! She really, actually, loved him. And she had kissed him. _She'd_ started it.

Of course, he had been waiting for her to start it. He wouldn't have been able to—he knew she wouldn't feel comfortable, and he wouldn't want to make her upset.

But she had kissed him. Twice. And then she had let him kiss her—she had said she loved him....

Despite his homesickness and the fact that the moon was still looming over them all, despite the fact that Ganondorf was still out somewhere and that Navi had been kidnapped, Link felt happy. Elated. He smiled a little and closed his eyes.

Another knock on the door. "Link!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," he told Kylia. "Five more minutes."

"That's what you said five minutes ago."

"_You_ said you were going to send Tatl after me."

"Five more minutes. Then I'll get Zelda to wake you up."

He wouldn't mind that much, except Zelda had picked up his own annoying habit of throwing water on a sleeping person to rouse them. It was because of this that Link reluctantly got out of bed and pulled on his clothes. He stood next to his door, waiting for her.

In a minute he heard a knock on his door. "Link, would you please get up?" Zelda said exasperatedly.

Link didn't answer her. She knocked again.

"All right, I'm coming in there, I hope you're decent," Zelda said, and pulled open the door. Link jumped out and grabbed her by the shoulders, then covered her eyes with his hands, just as he had done so many days ago when she woke him up before his surprise party. "BOO!"

Zelda tried to step on his feet, but he moved them out of the way and laughed.

"Lemme go," she said, pulling away. "I hate it when you do that."

"Sorry, Zellie."

Zelda laughed. "You're just trying to get on my nerves, aren't you?"

Link grinned. "Nah."

They held hands on the way to breakfast. They laughed and joked as they normally did, but it felt different. Not bad, but definitely different.

They found Kylia sitting at a table with a good view of the Clock Tower. They sat down, and then Tatl commented wryly, "Look, it's the couple of the year!"

Link and Zelda both turned red, but ignored her. She snickered.

The rain eased up as they ate breakfast, and discussed their next move.

"What's the game plan?" Link asked. "I don't think I can lift up something that big, so we have to find another way to keep it from falling."

"I had an idea last night," Tatl said.

For once, someone paid attention to her. "What?" Kylia asked.

"We could ask the Giants for help!"

This suggestion was met with blank stares. Tatl smirked, happy to know something that they didn't.

"Well, we could travel to the four resting places around Termina and ask them to help us. It'd take more than three days, though. And, there's one other little problem...."

"What's that?"

"Well, uh, Maclar and me and Tael did a lot of damage before you three showed up. We've caused complete havoc all over the place. Including the swamp," she sighed, glancing at the mask Link had brought out with him.

"So I guess we'll have to undo it," Link said bluntly. "And you're helping."

"Of course I—wait, what do you mean I'm helping?"

It was Link's turn to smirk.

"You helped do it, you help undo it. Since we've got a friend who lives in the swamp, we might as well start there, right?"

"Sure," said Tatl meekly. She was not looking forward to facing all the people she had helped to torment.

"Since you helped set it on fire, you know where it is, right?"

"Yes," Tatl said, feeling smaller by the second.

"And you'll take us straight there so we can fix what you did, won't you?"

"Yes dammit!"

"Good."

Link grinned and helped himself to a second serving of eggs. He practically inhaled the food. His companions watched this show in awe.

"How do you do it?" Kylia asked admiringly. "If I tried to eat food that fast I'd throw up."

"_You_ probably wouldn't," Link said darkly. "You eat that spicy stuff they have at Gerudo Valley. Ani told you about the time me'n Sh—Zelda ate that stuff, didn't I?" Link had almost slipped up and called Zelda Sheik, something he still did every once in awhile when referring to their adventures rescuing the sages, as Zelda had been in her disguise for most of the time.

"Yeah," Kylia answered, laughing.

Zelda laughed too. "You should've seen the look on his face!"

"What happened?" Tatl asked uncomprehendingly, feeling a bit left out.

"Oh," said Link. "Well, I was at a place in Hyrule called Gerudo Valley—I was eating my breakfast and I popped this piece of crap into my mouth, it was like fire. I mean, it was really spicy. I started choking on it," Link said. He now began to laugh along with his companions. "Zelda decided she'd get smart with me, so I told her to eat a piece of it. Well, she pulls down her mask a little and pops it into her mouth and—"

"I said, 'Hey, this is good!' or something like that. And Link's eyes were practically popping out of his head. It was so funny."

Tatl stared at Zelda. "I don't see a mask."

"I'm not wearing it," Zelda said. "I used to dress up as a guy and I wore a mask, it's really complicated."

"It's a long walk to the swamp," Tatl replied.

"You asked for it," Link said, grinning and starting on another egg.

Zelda and Kylia exchanged a very amused glance.

"See," Link said, "There was this dude named Ganon after the Triforce, right? Well, he showed up about, yeah, eight years ago now. He messed with the Zoras and Gorons in Hyrule. He even messed with the Kokiri. You know what Kokiri are, they're the forest kids who never—"

"Yeah, I know, go on," Tatl said eagerly.

"Well," Link said, "He messed with the Kokiri, and he put a curse type thing on the Deku Tree. You know who the—"

"Yes, I do," cried Tatl. "I was born in Termina but I spent half my life in Hyrule, so I know what you're talking about."

"Okay, well, he sent Navi after me and I went in there and preformed a little pest control, but he died anyways. He gave me this stone thing, right? It's the Kokiri's Emerald, one of three stones needed to open the gate to the Triforce place."

"It's called the Sacred Realm," Zelda reminded him.

"Yeah I know that," Link said. "Don't patronize me, woman!"

Link ducked a fork and grinned again. Kylia laughed.

"Turns out," Kylia said, "That the stone was the reason Ganondorf was bugging the Kokiri in the first place. The Gorons and the Zoras both had a stone too, which was why he was bugging them."

"Asshole," Tatl remarked.

"Yeah," Link said. "But I know a bigger one. Name of Mido, lives in the forest, he's a Kokiri. The dumbass went and found me on my way out, and accused _me_ of being the reason the tree had died. Well I got tired of him and hit the road. And around that time—"

"—he met me," Zelda said. "He came sneaking into the castle and he knocked out all the guards, ran into me, and I picked a fight with him."

Link started laughing. "I remember that," he said. "You started yelling for the guards but they were all taking five so they couldn't hear you."

"And of course Impa comes running in there," Kylia said, amused.

"Who?"

"Zelda's nanny," Link said. "Or she used to be, now she's just her guardian cause Zelda grew up and learned to take care of herself."

"Anyway," Zelda said, "After we got done acting like idiots Impa made us call a truce, and we came up with the bright idea to get into the Sacred Realm before Ganondorf did."

"She was having a bad day," Link said, grinning. He ducked a spoon and continued. "Well, she decided I needed to go get the other two rocks. So I went into a volcano and—get this—inside of a fish. I got the rocks and when I got back Ganondorf had already attacked. So me being the dummy I was took 'em up to the Temple of Time, and put them in, fired the whole thing up, and pulled this up."

Link gestured to the sword on his back.

"It's beautiful," Tatl said. "You could sell it for a million rupees, at least."

"But I'm not gonna. It's all mine. I'll die before I use another sword."

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Oh, Goddesses. Here we go."

"I'm stuffed," Kylia said, to avoid a fight. "Let's go ahead and go, okay?"

"All right," Tatl grumbled.

She had wanted to hear the rest of the story. She didn't feel so left out when they told her things like that. It felt good to laugh with them and watch them play around. She had never had any of that with Maclar and Tael. They had been too busy just trying to survive, stealing food when they had to. They had been depressed. They didn't have time to play pranks, only to try and get a decent meal once in awhile.

And then they had began stealing things for money. One of the first things they stole was the mask, and it gave them the power to do whatever they wanted.

It was a horrible thing....

"Too bad we don't have any horses," Link said sadly as they reached Termina Field. "No one else brought one, and Epona is gone...."

"Your horse?" Tatl asked.

"Yeah," Link said.

"Oh...."

"We have to walk," Kylia said firmly, "So let's go. Lead the way, Tatl."

Tatl started flying straight ahead, towards a patch of woods. Everyone followed her.

"Tell me what happened," Tatl said, as they walked. "After you pulled the sword."

"Well, I fell asleep," Link said. "That was the longest nap I ever took in my life. Seven years."

"What?"

"Well, see, how it worked out is, the only one who can pull the sword is some dude called the Hero of Time." Link grinned. "Yours truly."

"Cut down your ego," said Zelda, thwacking Link playfully on the side of the head. He grabbed the hand she had used to hit him with and pulled it down next to them, so that they were again holding hands.

"I was too little," Link explained to Tatl. "The Hero of Time had to be older. I wasn't old enough yet. So I had to sleep until I did get old enough. That's Loophole One. While I was sleeping...."

"Ganondorf got into the Sacred Realm," Kylia said. "He tried to take the Triforce. Loophole Two: The Triforce can only go to someone with a pure heart. Equal in Power, Wisdom, and Courage."

"Well," said Link, "Ganondorf ain't exactly the brightest crayon in the box—"

"—and he's a coward," Zelda added.

"So he only got one piece," Kylia said. "Power. And—what the hell is that?"

Kylia stopped as a large skull framed in blue fire approached them.

"Something tells me it doesn't want to chat over tea," said Zelda.

"It's a bubble," Tatl said. "If it touches you you'll go numb and you won't be able to move as good. Just go around it."

But it would not let them go around it. It insisted on putting up a fight, and Link fought back at it, slicing it cleanly in half before it vanished into blue flames.

"Wow," Tatl said. "Remind me not to get you mad in the future. Anyway, Ganondorf got the Triforce of Power and then...."

"Well, he wanted to try out his new toy, so he basically destroyed Hyrule and vowed to kill me and Zelda because he knew we were the people who got to the other pieces. So that's why Zelda had to dress up as a guy, which was why she had a mask on."

"So you're not going to finish the story?" said Tatl in disbelief. "C'mon, tell me, I want to know how Hyrule got out of that mess...."

Link squeezed Zelda's hand and grinned. "We had to rescue the six sages of Hyrule."

"What's a sage?"

"People who protect Hyrule in times of danger. Link's friend Saria protects the forest, the Zora princess protects water, Impa protects the village and the graveyard, since that's where the Shekiah used to live, a man named Rauru protects places like the Market and the Temple of Time, and the Goron leader Darunia protects the mountains. I protect the desert."

"You're a sage?"

"They tell me my mother was the real sage," Kylia said, smiling a little, "But that it was handed down to me when she got killed."

"She's dead? I'm sorry...."

"It's all right, I don't remember her enough to miss her too much," said Kylia.

"What about your dad?"

There was a silence as they walked.

"He's basically a jackass, he left a long time ago," Kylia said tensely.

"Oh...."

"Anyway," Zelda cut in, to try and spare Kylia of the painful fact of who her father really was. "We rescued all the sages, and they helped us form a portal to the Evil Realm, a chamber in the Sacred Realm that no one can get in or out of unless the sages open the portal."

"You know, rescuing the sages was a huge pain," Link joked, grinning. He ducked two rocks; one thrown by both Kylia and Zelda.

"I kicked your ass," Kylia said, grinning herself. Though she had been controlled at the time, she could still look back with amusement on the fact that she had outdone the Hero of Time.

"Yes you did," Link said humbly. "I am the second best swordsman in Hyrule, only Kylia can beat me."

"Anyway," Zelda said again, "Ganondorf finally wised up, figured out who Sheik was—that was my boy name, Sheik—and he flew me back to his castle."

The events were growing harder to talk about. It had been truly frightening, being dragged up into that castle, then the waiting, and just near the end of the waiting, Ganondorf had....

Link squeezed Zelda's hand again, knowing what she was thinking and trying to direct her attention elsewhere.

"We managed to push him into the Sacred Realm," he said. "It wasn't easy, but we did."

"Me and Link and Navi all got one wish," Zelda said. "I wished my dad back to life. Link wished Johan back to life. Navi—"

"Who's Johan?"

"A friend who was killed helping us fight Ganon," Zelda said. "Anyway, Navi wished for all of Hyrule to be turned back to the way it had been seven years prior. All the people who had been killed, all the places that were destroyed...they came back, as good as new."

"So, the end, happily ever after?" asked Tatl.

Link and Zelda exchanged a weary glance. "Not quite. But that story is for another day."

They fought several more bubbles along the way to the swamp. Though Link and Kylia made quick work of most of them, Zelda decided to try and tackle on her own.

She was not yet accustomed to using magic to fight, as she hadn't been able to use her true powers when she was Sheik—they would have given away her true identity. Now, however, she decided it was time to practice. She knew that no matter how she wished, Hyrule wouldn't be at peace forever, and she couldn't let herself get rusty. She needed to able to fight. Even after the threat of Ganondorf was gone, Link had still continued to train every day. She now saw how vital that training had been and she vowed to do the same.

She did not defeat her bubble as quickly or efficiently as Link and Kylia had, but she did defeat it on her own. Proudly, she pretended to wipe the dust off of her dress before continuing.

They were nearly there when Tatl saw the tree. It was like other trees, but it had a small carving at the base. A small carving that she herself had helped to make.

"Oh, guys, wait a second," she said. "I'm sorry, I just want to look at this for a minute...."

She flew over to the tree and stared at the picture. There was a small smiling skull kid, with two fairies floating next to his head. Tatl smiled.

"We made that," she said quietly. "When we first met Maclar. He didn't have any friends...so he ran away from home. He fell into the warp and by chance, he ended up in a world that was almost like Hyrule.

"It was raining," Tatl said. "And me and Tael, we...we were cold. We didn't have anything to eat and we didn't have anywhere to stay. We couldn't stay at the swamps here because the Deku Scrubs thought we were cursed. Maybe we were. We always had bad luck and brought it to everyone around us.

"We flew around in this field, looking for somewhere to get out of the rain. We found those logs, and dived under them. We were freezing. And, there was this strange little _thing_ in there with us," Tatl said, laughing a little. "I didn't know what it was. I'd never seen one before. But it asked me what my name was, asked Tael what his name was. Turns out it was a skull kid. His name was Maclar.

"We spent the night together, using body heat to stay warm. It seemed to last forever but when the sun came up, we were warm again. We played together all that day. We would chase each other and do tricks and tell jokes and stories. We really hit it off, the two of us and Maclar. So we decided to be friends. We carved that picture on the base of the tree, as a promise that we'd always stick together.

"And we _did_ stick together.. We sometimes went a few days without food, and when that happened, Maclar would take us back to Hyrule...me and Tael had been there before, so it wasn't a big deal. The skull kids there always gave us food if we were hungry. They were kind of nice to us. I wanted to stay but Maclar hated them. So we kept going back to Termina.

"Eventually he got tired of crawling back to the other skull kids for help, and he'd steal food instead of paying for it. And when they got too careful he started stealing other things, for money. He'd steal and then sell it to the black market, and one day we saw this guy with a bag full of masks...it seemed like such a perfect opportunity. Masks are a big part of the culture and way of life around here and the bag on that guy's back had to be worth millions.

"But Maclar picked up the first mask he saw," Tatl said miserably. "And he put it on. And he changed. He started playing pranks, on everyone, and then it got serious. He did awful things to people, even set the swamp on fire and poisoned the water. He said they deserved it and convinced us that we were just having fun."

Tatl's voice took on a hard, bitter tone. "I don't know why I listened to him. We were supposed to be friends forever, but he nearly killed Tael. Once he got that mask he didn't care about being friends anymore."

There was a silence following her story and everyone stared at the tiny carving on the base of the tree. It was awhile before Tatl spoke again.

"C'mon, let's go ahead and go...we might as well get this over with...."

They were nearly there when Tatl began to smell smoke. Unfortunately for her, Link noticed it as well.

"You guys smell that? It's smoke...Tatl, did the skull kid do this?"

"Yeah," she muttered.

"Did you help?"

"No, but I didn't stop him. Tael tried to talk him out of it, though...."

They walked through a grassy pathway, and soon ended up in front of a small building that was sitting on perhaps a foot of sickly looking water. Zelda walked up to this water and, as a test, put her finger in it. She withdrew it at once with a cry of pain, wiping it on her clothes.

"What?" Kylia asked anxiously.

"Poison," Zelda replied.

Everyone looked at Tatl again.

"Hey," she said defensively, "I had nothing to do with this, the water always turns poison if the swamp is harmed...or if the Deku King is angry."

"Well we can't wade through the water if it's like this," Kylia said. "We have to find a way of getting across."

For what seemed like the hundredth time, heads turned to look at Tatl.

"They offer boat rides here," she said dully.

"Perfect!"

Kylia took the path to the building and climbed the ladder. Link and Zelda exchanged a glance and a shrug, then followed.

Kylia was already talking to the manager—or rather, the man behind the counter—when they got inside. The man—or was it a gorilla?—seemed very irritated.

"I says she ain't here!" the man said. "The old hag ain't shown up fer work since the bloomin' swamp caught on fire. She's prolly laid down an' died somewhere. She likes animals, she does, might 'ave gone in the woods to 'elp care for 'em. She's none too nice to me, but most people likes her. I don't care if she 'as died, but we still ain't got no one to run the bloomin' boats, so yeh'll just 'ave to scram!"

"Is there a way to get to the woods from here?" Kylia asked, with what looked like a supreme effort at controlling her temper.

"The Deku Scrubs, they can hop 'long the lily pads, but I'm afraid yeh'll have to walk across the tree roots sticking up out of the water, yeh will," said the gorilla man. "Normally I'd wager yeh could wade, but the water's done been poisoned an' three minutes in it will kill yeh, best be careful. Yeh'll need to go right an' then yeh'll come to a pier where the roots end. That's the place where the old 'ag lives. The woods is just beyond."

Kylia thanked the man and practically dragged Link and Zelda out of the store. Tatl followed, snickering.

"What a slimy bastard!" she exploded, once out of earshot of the gorilla man. "I have never met anyone so openly disagreeable in my life!"

"You've met me," Link quipped, and Kylia laughed in spite of herself.

"You have a point," she said. "Get out the mask, see if he can be a Deku again and tell us where we're going."

Link searched through Kylia's backpack until he found the mask, then he held it up as Maskeru had, and said, "Uh, could you do that cool thing where you turn into a whole person?"

Zelda looked as though she was restraining herself from making a smart remark with great difficulty, and instead settled for rolling her eyes. The mask began to shake and vibrate, and when Link let it go, it changed into Daeken, who had his hands on his knees and was panting.

"Sorry," muttered Link. "But can you—?"

"Just put the mask on," Daeken explained. "When you do, we turn into one person like before, only you're not stuck. We can change back to you and the mask anytime we want. I want to show you what you've been missing anyway."

With that, the small Deku was swept back into the mask, which landed on the ground loudly. There was a short silence.

"That doesn't strike me as really safe," Link said, picking up the mask and raising an eyebrow at his companions.

"I don't think he'd tell you to do it if it weren't," Zelda pointed out. "Try it, Link."

Link stared at the mask for a moment, then glared at Tatl. "You translated right in the Clock Tower. You have to translate like that all the time. No more jokes. Okay?"

Tatl rolled her eyes. "You have no sense of humor. All right, I promise, no funny stuff. Just put it on!"

Link took a deep breath. "Okay, here goes...."

He put the wooden mask to his face and it felt as though it had gotten stuck. He moved his hands away from it, and his limbs started shaking, and growing short. There was a lot of tingling and a little pain, but it didn't hurt as much as it had the first time, when the skull kid had transformed him.

In about thirty seconds he was a Deku Scrub once more. He looked at his wooden hands. "I don't like being a Deku."

"Well," said Daeken's voice, "You haven't really experienced it yet. All you know is stiff wooden joints. You have no idea all the things us Deku can do. Do you mind if I take control for a moment?"

Link started to reply out loud but thought better of it—he didn't want to look like he was speaking to no one again. Instead, he used thoughts to communicate.

_I guess I don't mind. What does it do?_

"It just allows me to use the body to move around. All you have to do is watch."

_Go ahead,_ Link thought hesitantly.

His legs began to move forward towards the water of their own accord. The way they walked was different from the way Link had tried to make them work, and he didn't feel stiff or unsteady. His legs then jumped onto the surface of the water. His feet hit with a small splash, and, to his utter amazement, he soared back up as though he was jumping on a trampoline. This kept happening until he reached a small lily pad out in the middle of the water. It didn't sink when he stood on it, though it certainly would have if he was a human.

Zelda, Kylia, and Tatl started applauding. Link's eyes went wide and he forgot to think his words.

"How did you do that?"

"Wood floats," replied Daeken.

Link explained what had happened to his friends, and they found some tree roots growing out of the water that they could walk on. Link continued to do aerobics all the way downstream, loving the feeling of jumping through the lily pads using nothing but water as his support.

_Being a Deku ain't so bad after all,_ he thought.

"You haven't even seen the half of it."

When Link landed on the wooden pier that the tree roots ended at, he mentally asked how he was supposed to become a human again.

"Like this," Daeken said, and Link's fingers moved up to his face and removed the mask. It dropped to the ground and all at once he was a human again.

"Wow," Link said. "That was the weirdest thing I have ever done in my life, including skinny dipping in Lake Hylia."

"You skinny dipped?" Kylia asked interestedly.

"Yeah, what's it to ya?"

"The woods are this way," Tatl said loudly. She flew ahead of them, shrieked, and flew back.

"What, what's the matter?" Zelda asked.

"Th-there are monsters over there!" Tatl squeaked.

The monsters turned out to be Deku Babas, and Link and Zelda took care of them while Kylia consoled Tatl.

"Don't feel bad," she said, doing her best to keep a straight face. "I heard Navi was once afraid of a cat, she thought it was trying to eat her...."

They arrived at the clearing beyond slightly out of breath. The building here had purple smoke coming from the top of it, and was built high above the poisonous waters. They saw the entrance to the woods just beyond.

"Hey!"

A shout from the woods grabbed their attention. A small white creature came trotting towards them. Upon closer inspection, they could see it was a monkey.

"I've been watching you," it said solemnly, without so much as a hello. "I know you're looking for the woman who runs the boats. She got caught in the woods during the fire and she was burned. The trees aren't too damaged, but she did get hurt. Her sister's been looking for her like crazy, but we can't get her attention to tell her where she is. We can't climb the ladder, for one thing. Could two of you come with me, and someone else go find the woman inside that shop and tell her that you know where her sister is?"

Link blinked.

"Of course," Zelda said. "I'll—"

"Nah, Zel, come with me," Link said, grinning. "You wanted to practice self defense, remember?"

"Fair point. Kylia, do you mind?"

"Nope," said Kylia. She watched Link and Zelda run towards the woods, feeling glad she wasn't with them. The woods were full of mosquitoes and poison ivy, and they never had agreed with her.

She climbed the ladder to the potion shop slowly, knowing that the thing was so rickety it could fall any minute. Perhaps the two women who lived here didn't use it very much.

She didn't bother knocking when she got to the top of the ladder. It was a shop, after all, and this was urgent. She took a look at the woman who sat behind the counter and gasped.

She felt as though something icy had exploded in the pit of her stomach. Her chest had constricted; it was as though it was getting tighter and tighter, and the tightness made it difficult to breathe. She had seen this woman before, and knew her voice. This woman's voice was the one that had ordered Kylia to do horrible things, to try and murder her own friends. This was the woman who had once made her life a living hell....

  
- - -

"Kylia!"

Kylia heard her own name and tried to turn her head to the sound, but it was no good. The witches had control.

_Go find them,_ Koume's voice said in the back of her mind. _Kill them._

_No!_ Kylia thought stubbornly. She was getting stronger against the witches every hour, and though she could not move of her own will, she could refuse to move at their every whim.

_You'll do what you're told, girl,_ Kotake's voice said roughly. _Did you know your home is burning to ashes right now? Ganon is raiding the place. He's looking for Zelda. And all your friends will die._

_Shut up!_ Kylia thought. _Zelda_ _isn't there. That's a lie! You're lying!_

Had she been talking, the last words would have come out as a scream, but she could not utter a sound.

_I'm lying?_ Kotake said dangerously. _Then why isn't your friend with them? The fighter, and the one you put in charge? They're gone. Not there. They're fighting. But they'll lose. And then they'll die._

_And,_ Koume added, wanting to gain more pleasure from Kylia's anguish, _It's all your fault. You got them angry at you by attacking them...they didn't want to help you...so they stayed behind._

_Too bad for them,_ Kotake said. _Too bad that you were so much like your father that you tried to kill your own friends._

_Shut up! I'm not like him! I hate him! I hate him!_

She wanted to scream, yell, cry, anything. But it was impossible. She had tried to kill her friends and this was punishment.

_I hate him! I hate him! I'm not like him! I hate him!_

- - -

"Well, well, well," Kotake said softly. "Would you look what the wind blew in."

Kylia, her gaze never leaving Kotake's face, pulled out her scimitars.

Kotake laughed. "Don't bother with those things, girl! The last time we fought magic overpowered your swords. Besides, we're not fighting anymore. We came here and started over. Koume's an animal lover who works at the boat shop, and I make potions and sell them for a nice chunk of change. Tell me," she added, looking Kylia over suspiciously, "What brings you here?"

"Koume," Kylia said, her knuckles white from gripping her swords. "The monkey wanted me to tell you that your sister Koume is in the woods and hurt."

Kylia never took her eyes off the hag. The old witch didn't know it, but she had coated her scimitars with the same substance that covered the ancient Mirror Shield—they repelled magic and reflected light, just as the shield did. She wanted never again to be caught unaware by the witches again.

Kotake let put a cry. "So that's where she was! I've been looking from my broom, couldn't see in the woods. Land sakes, girl, let's move—do you know where she is?"

Kylia was still gripping her swords very tightly. She did not trust this woman in the least bit—in fact, she hated her. She felt no desire to save Koume's life, or to spare Kotake the grief of losing her sister. She would have gladly laughed at their pain.

_That's cruel,_ she thought. _Ganondorf was cruel. So I guess I can't be cruel, or it means he got to me. I hate her and I hate her sister and I loathe Ganondorf but if I don't help them I'm being cruel. I'm not a cruel person. I'm not like him._

"I don't know where she's at," Kylia said at last. "I guess we could walk—"

"Walk? For pity's sake, girl, I'm three hundred and six, I can't walk. We'll fly."

"Fly?" Kylia repeated. "Oh, no, you go ahead. I can't fly and I'm not using a broomstick."

"It won't hurt you, silly girl," Kotake said, grabbing two of them from a closet.

Kylia took a step back. "You can't make me."

Kotake looked around at Kylia, seeing something almost like fear in the warrior's eyes. She realized with a bit of a shock that this girl hated and feared her—something she would have longed for before now but was slightly ashamed of at the moment.

"You're right. I can't," Kotake said. She put one of the brooms down. "You can walk below me, then, I'll have to fly low anyways."

Kylia moved out of the hag's way and she took off through the door. She breathed a tiny sigh of relief once she was alone again, and then she headed down the ladder.

**AN:** Ooooh, don't tell me, I forgot the angst warning, huh? :p Whoops, silly me. Bah, get used to it, I'm the angsty type. Anyways, reveiw responses.  
  
**DiscoDude7:** Lol, you really really like Doc, huh? I guess I do too, or he wouldn't have remembered.  
**Pata Hikari:** I'm still trying to decide what sidequests to do when and where, but the love story will definately be one. Lol, I read your review and got the same mental image and I started laughing too. Thanks for brightening my day a bit. n.n  
**The Sagittarius Sage:** Yeah, but MM and OoT were orignally for the N64... Oo' Oh well, even you haven't played them it's cool, they're just fin to play, Link in so hot. n.n  
**Blowfish:** Lmao. You are a NUT. Do you have any instant messengers? AIM? Yahoo? I even get on MSN once in awhile. I think it would be fun to talk to you, I was still giggling ten minutes after I read that, so yeah. If you have AIM or Yahoo or MSN then IM me sometime! nn (I think my s/ns are on ym profile page but if they're not I'll add em.)  
**Hikari:** Lol, I'll do that sometimes and my mom or brother will look ta me like I'm crazy, so it's not just you or anything. All crazy people do it. :p  
dress-without-sleeves: Ask and you shall receive!  
  
Well, I have nothing left to say except please leave me a reveiw. Since I'm tired and my stomach hurts, I'll go now. Peace and love! Byes!


	15. Chapter Fourteen: Fleeing Deku Palace

**Author's Notes: **Told you I'd update again. : D See, that wasn't SUCH a long wait, was it...? Okay, well, it was, and I'm sorry. (sticks tongue out) You'll live. At least it's up NOW, right? Right. So yah. Oh, I'd also like to point out that the bridge over the place where you go into Deku Palace, that connects the gardens, it's a bit higher up in this fic. Instead of being maybe six or seven feet off the ground it's like ten. Anyways, enough talking, I hope you like the chappie!

Chapter Fourteen: Fleeing Deku Palace

Kylia walked through the woods slowly, always keeping one eye out for Kotake's broom above her. She also stayed wary of Kotake herself. Several times, Kylia felt like taking off into the woods and never looking at Kotake again. But something stopped her. She kept a tight grip on her scimitars, which she had out to purposely show Kotake that she was not trusted.  
  
She stopped and looked around. It was easy to track Link's trail; the ground where he had stepped was littered with broken twigs and the grass had been flattened. Vines had also been cut in the dense areas. She just had to take the same path.

She saw another place where the grass was flat and started that way.

"Hello, anyone here?" she called. E very once in awhile, if the path became difficult to follow, she would call out. But so far, there had been no answers.

She smelled smoke and ran ahead, forgetting the path. She followed the burnt trees until she reached a small clearing.

"Link!"

There were Link, Zelda, and Tatl, all hovering uncertainly over an unconscious woman on the burnt ground. The monkey had vanished. The trees in this clearing were all black and lifeless, and the woman herself was an old hag who had burns in several places, and nearby was a piece of charred wood that had probably once been her broomstick.

It gave Kylia an odd sense of satisfaction to see that woman as helpless as she had once been.

Koume, caught and nearly killed by fire, her own brand of magic. Fate was cruel.

Link looked up when Kylia called his name, and his eyes widened. "Kylia, I didn't know—"

"Me either," Kylia said, sounding almost bitter. "I almost decided to kill the both of them...but that's cruel."

Both Link and Zelda at once understood what had gone through her head, but Tatl remained confused.

"What've they done to you?" she asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," Kylia snapped, and Tatl immediately quieted. She had not known Kylia long, but could already see that the fierce warrior was a person she wanted to get angry. She tended to have a long fuse, except on matters she was sensitive about. This was obviously one of those matters.

It wasn't long before Kotake arrived. Kylia remained icily silent as the woman landed and rushed towards her sister.

She let out a cry. "Good grief, she's all burnt up! I think I have something for that...."

She began to rummage around in her bag. No one spoke.

"So, how did you wind up here?" Kotake asked, bravely trying to make a stab at a conversation.

"Skull kid," Kylia grunted.

Kotake sighed. "Like the devil, that child."

There was no response.

"Here it is!"

Kotake triumphantly pulled out a bottle of purple liquid. She shuffled over to Koume and applied the potion to the wounds, then pulled out a bottle full of red liquid and poured some down Koume's throat. Koume's eyelids fluttered and she woke up.

"Oww...oh, my aching...."

Koume caught sight of Kylia then, and she let out a cry that sounded uncannily like her sister's.

"What's that brat doing here?" Koume shrieked with all of the energy she could muster. She then saw Link and Zelda and she let out a stream of swearing, mostly insults. In about two seconds Kylia had her scimitar at the woman's throat.

"One more word," Kylia snarled. "One more word and I swear I'll do it. All I need is one good reason."

The tension in the air was thicker than mud.

"They saved your hide, Koume," Kotake said. "I'd've never found you if it wasn't for them. More specifically, her," she added, jerking a thumb at Kylia.

Kylia glared at both of them and slowly removed her scimitar. Kotake helped Koume to her feet.

"I believe we owe you an apology," Kotake said. She jabbed Koume in the ribs, but Koume refused to say anything.

"Looks like I'm the only one who'll be giving it, though," Kotake sighed. "We're both sorry, she's just too stubborn to say it."

Kylia remained silent for short time.

"You're _not_ forgiven," she spat unmercifully. "I hope one day you both know what it's like not to be able to move or talk or even think of your own free will, and I hope you hate it twice as much as I did."

"Kylia," Link said hesitantly, "We could give them another...."

"_You_ give them another chance," she said, her eyes flashing angrily. "They're out of chances with me."

Kotake sighed. "Where are you three—"

"Four," interjected Tatl.

"—headed to?"

"Up the swamp," Tatl answered. "We can get off at Deku Palace."

"Well, you'll need a boat. My sister runs the boats, so that shouldn't be a problem."

Koume glared at Kotake. Kylia glared at Link, Zelda, and Tatl.

Zelda rolled her eyes.

"We'd be very pleased if you could give us a boat ride," she said, speaking civilly through her anger at these women. She did not show it, but she was angry with them too—Kylia was her friend.

"Koume," Kotake said, "If you don't, I will."

"Go right ahead, then" Koume replied stubbornly, folding her arms.

She glared with the utmost loathing at Kylia, and Kylia glared back so menacingly that for a brief moment Koume knew real fear, fear for her very life.

But, then again, that had been Kylia's intention.

---

Some time later, they had journeyed back to the boat house, and they were atop a wooden raft. Kotake was sitting, or, rather, hovering beside them on her broom. Koume had stayed at her own house to rest, as she claimed it, but everyone knew it was to get away from Kylia.

The three people aboard the boat had been given a free gift as part of their boat tour, which, thanks to Kotake, was also free. They each had one pictograph box, which could take pictures that could be developed later. Link was looking at his with a kind of wonder, and toying with it as if it was a new toy. Once it flashed in his face and he nearly dropped it into the sickly looking swap water.

"Off you go," Kotake said, and she muttered something under her breath and the boat began to move.

Kylia remained sulky and silent throughout the journey, though Link took pictures of the swamp as they went.

"Why?" asked Tatl. "You can see this every day if you want to. It's boring."

"It's art," Link replied, clicking away. "Besides, if I take a picture of it I can draw it later."

"You draw?"

"All the time."

Zelda got Link to show her how to use the strange device, and she wound up taking pictures too. Kylia didn't say much, something unusual for her, and Link took a picture of her back. She saw the flash and whirled around.

"Don't do that!"

Link's eyes widened innocently. "Why not?"

"Because," Kylia said.

"Because why?"

Link was determined to cheer her up. She normally never shut up, and she was a lot of fun to talk to. They were close, almost as though they were siblings—but, like siblings, they also fought a great deal.

"Because I said not to!" Kylia said irritably.

Link stuck his tongue out at her.

She looked away.

He walked over next to her, and pulled another face. Her lips twitched, but she just huffed and turned away from him again.

"I see a smi-ile," Link said tauntingly. "I know it, I know it!"

Kylia tried unsuccessfully not to smile and she turned away again to hide it. She glanced back at Link, who had his eyes crossed, and burst out laughing.

Link took a picture of her while she was laughing, and this time, she didn't seem to mind. She picked up her own box and took a picture of him with his box covering up his face.

Needless to say, they had a great deal of somewhat childish fun on the way to the Deku Palace. They could see the building from a distance. It was made out of red and green logs, standing tall and proud. There were vines spilling over the walls and an entrance cut neatly into the bottom.

When they arrived, the boat jerked to a stop in front of a pier, and there sat the same monkey that had lured them into the woods.

"Hello," it said. "I have continued to watch you, since you saved Koume."

Kylia frowned. "That was awfully nice of you."

"I don't mean to be rude," the monkey said quickly, "But my brother—he is being punished for the recent fire and the death of the princess. He did nothing, I swear! But they plan to torture him—to the death. I can't get in the palace. I'm not a Deku Scrub. But I saw one with you, recently—do you suppose he could help me? Please—I don't want such an ill fate to befall my brother."

Tatl gawked at the monkey. "But he didn't start that fire, Maclar did! And no one died! I saw the princess—she was headed for Woodfall, and there was a monkey with her who looked a lot like you," Tatl said. "Guys, we have to help him, I can't let someone get tortured to death because of Maclar!"

Before Link or Kylia could reply, Zelda said, "Okay, we'll help you. What's your name?"

"Ninym. Where is your friend? They'll let him in to see my brother—your friend is a Deku, and my brother is going to be showcased for all the Deku to see."

"You go ahead," Link said, "He'll be there in a second."

Ninym looked as though he doubted this very much, but he walked in his own monkey-like fashion to the entrance and out of sight.

"What are we supposed to do?" Zelda said. "We can't become Deku Scrubs."

"You just wait," Link said. "Tatl and I are going into the palace."

"Me?" Tatl said. "Why me?"

"Because you're little and can hide in my pocket," Link said, then added, "Duh."

He handed Kylia his pictograph box and dug in her backpack until he found the mask. He put it on and quickly transformed into a Deku Scrub.

"C'mon, let's go," he said to Tatl.

Tatl flew into his pocket, and Link crept towards the Deku Palace.

"What are we doing here?" asked Daeken's voice.

_We're rescuing a monkey who everyone thinks killed the princess and set the swamp on fire,_ Link answered, not realizing how odd he sounded.

"Ah! There you are!" said Ninym when Link reached him. "There are guards. They only admit Deku Scrubs. All I'm asking you is to go in and see if—if he's okay. If you can, try and break him out, but if you find the guards are too powerful, we can find another way."

"Okay," said Link. "Hey, do you understand Deku?"

"Yes," replied Ninym. "Now hurry, go."

Link started stiffly towards the entrance, doing his best to balance himself.

"Why are you walking funny?" Daeken asked.

_I'm a human, remember? I'm not used to walking with Deku legs,_ Link thought testily, nearly tipping over.

"Do you think I could teach you how to do that like a Deku Scrub?" Daeken asked. "You wouldn't stick out so much, and it would probably be easier on you."

V5ç5ç5ç·5ç¸5ç5ç5_Go right ahead,_ Link thought. _I'm no good at it._

"What are you doing?" Tatl hissed from Link's pocket.

"Learning to walk," Link replied, and Ninym gave him a strange look.

Daeken showed Link how to use his arms and legs so that he would no longer feel stiff and unsteady. In two minutes, Link had adjusted his walk so he could safely wander about without _looking_ like a human trapped in a Deku body.

"Okay," he said. "_Now_ we can go."

Link walked along another wooden pier. The air grew steamy, as if the warm climate had suddenly become too much for the cool swamp water. Link didn't understand it—the temperature had stayed the same, but there had been no steam outside.

_What gives?_ Link asked Daeken.

"You'll see, just keep walking," Daeken said.

Link kept walking, and saw two Deku Scrubs guarding another door, that he assumed led into the palace.

_Aah, I could use a little help here,_ Link thought at Daeken.

"Tell them you want to see the foolish monkey who burned the swamp," Daeken said quickly.

Link repeated what Daeken had said and one of the Deku Scrubs grunted.

"Very well," it said. "But do not wander. Go straight down the hall, do not turn right or left!"

"Okay," Link said. The Deku Scrubs moved aside, and he walked in very slowly, taking in his surroundings. He could hear a great deal of noise ahead. He sped up to see where the monkey was.

He entered a magnificent throne room; the walls and floor were wooden, but they were decorated so lavishly it was all he could do not to stare. Several other Scrubs stood nearby a large bonfire in the middle of the room, and the biggest Deku Link had ever seen in his life stood atop a chair, shouting madly.

"—murdered my daughter! He shall pay!"

All the Dekus cheered savagely at these words; their princess had obviously been held dearly to their hearts. Link felt a little sick, however, at the way they were behaving. He looked nearby the chair. There was another Deku standing the shadows, looking lost and heartbroken. The minute Link set eyes on him he felt a tug at his heart. That Deku Scrub looked so sad....

"My father," Daeken said quietly. "Butler for the King. He must think me to be dead...I wish somehow I could tell him I wasn't, but that is impossible. It would be a partial lie to begin with."

_Where's the monkey?_ Link thought, trying to steer Daeken away from depressing thoughts.

"Look around, I'm sure there was a cage here somewhere...."

Link looked and found it quickly. It had been hidden behind a curtain. He could hear guards inside, talking.

"...pay for what you've done. You have killed many innocents with your foolish acts," said a voice.

"I killed no one!" said another voice. "I tell you, I was merely trying to save the princess's life! She may still be alive, if you'll just set me free! She went to Woodfall!"

"Lies!" spat the first voice. "You only care for your freedom—you do not want to face the consequences for what you have done. Do you not realize the hearts you have broken? You are a fool, and I shall listen to no more of it!"

There was a sickening sound, much like the Deku guard had struck the monkey that Link knew was inside the cell. Then there was a stalking of feet.

Link took a quick look around; no one was looking his way. He quickly slipped behind the curtain, found the door to the cage, fumbled with the latch, and finally walked inside, shutting the heavy iron door silently behind him.

There was a sharp intake of breath, but Link couldn't see from where. It was dark inside the cell; only a few slivers of light made their way past the bars and the heavy curtain.

"Who's there?"

"I'm going to try and get you out of here."

"...Daeken?"

The voice that replied to them was full of disbelief, and a faint hope. Link hated to burst his bubble, but there was no time for explaining and he wasn't sure if the monkey would believe him anyway. He decided for something simple.

"Sort of. We've met. Where are you?"

"Suspended on a pole in the center of the room. My hands are tied behind my back. There's no way to free me, friend. Why are you here?"

"Your brother Ninym asked me to help you."

"He dragged you into this mess? I'm terrible sorry."

"It's okay. We know it wasn't you. Tatl, fly out and light this place up."

Tatl zipped out Link's pocket and the room was illuminated by her off-white light. The monkey was indeed suspended on pole, one that lay vertically across the room. His hands were tied behind his back, above him, attached to the pole.

"You are a Deku," the monkey said. "You look and sound a lot like Daeken. But you're not him, are you? He is dead. They think I killed him."

"We know who really set the swamp on fire," Tatl whispered. "I think I can undo these, I need something sharp to cut with."

"The floor is littered with debris, boxes, rocks, lots of things, try that," the monkey said. "What are your names?"

"I'm Link," Link said. "The fairy is Tatl."

Tatl searched the floor and found a jagged piece of wood. She flew back up to the monkey's hands and began to cut the ropes.

"Don't waste too much time, if they catch you here they'll kill you!"

"We're going to get you out of here," Link said.

"I'll still be wanted, unless I can find the princess."

"Where is she?"

"She is in great danger. She and I went to Woodfall to escape the flames. When we got into the temple it started to shake and vanish beneath the waters. She taught me the song to reawaken it, as we ran. She didn't make it out in time because something grabbed her, but she told me to go, to summon her father. Her father imprisoned me."

"Didn't she drown?"

"No. There is air inside the temple. But when it is surrounded by water, no Deku can get in. And with the water like it is, no other living thing can, either. That's why I must go to the temple, awaken it, and find the princess!"

"We'll help you," Link said. "What's your name?"

"Tayan."

As soon as the word left his mouth he crashed to the floor, his wrists free at last.

"Sorry!" Tatl said. "Are you okay?"

Tayan held up a hand. "Quiet," he uttered. "They might have heard."

He was frozen in place, standing still. Then he seemed to hear something they could not.

"They're coming back," he said, voice full of fear. "We have to get out of here!"

Link could now hear slow footsteps approaching the door from which he and Tatl had entered. "How did the guard get out?"

Tayan took a fast look around. "This way. Hurry!"

The white monkey streaked towards a section of wall, and started rubbing his hands over it frantically. There was a click, and then the wall vanished to reveal a set of stairs, with a patch of light at the end.

"Outside," Tayan breathed. He rushed up the stairs, Link and Tatl at his heels.

Out in the light Link could see the monkey looked even worse for the wear. He had several cuts and bruises and his fur was badly matted and very dirty. Link felt an unexpected surge of anger sweep through him—what right did they have, hurting someone innocent?

"My thoughts exactly," Daeken said from somewhere in Link's head, sounding even more furious than Link felt.

Link was unpleasantly surprised by Daeken's reply. He agreed—but it meant that Daeken could sense his thoughts, at least some of them. He would have to question him about it later.

They had found themselves out in a large garden, full of gigantic flowers, tiny shrubs, decorative rocks, and Deku guards. The guards were pacing around what looked like a labyrinth of paths made by the rocks and shrubs. There were several tall wooden lookout points, each with a pink flower on top. Some pink flowers had a guard stand on top of them.

Link knew it was only a matter of time before they were noticed—someone would notify the guards of their whereabouts or the guards would look up.

Tayan's eyes jumped around the garden. His look was that of a trapped rat. He was silent for a moment, but then his eyes widened.

"Can you fly?" Tayan asked suddenly.

"Say yes!" Daeken told Link urgently. "I'll teach you, or take control—whatever we need to do."

"I'm a little new at it," Link replied, almost truthfully.

"Well, if you can fly over to the other end of the garden and activate the bridge, I can get across. I'd ask your fairy—Tatl, wasn't it?—to do it, but the switch is very heavy. I'm not sure you yourself can do it on your own."

Link eyed the switch. If the Deku guards could pull it with their Deku bodies, he could pull it with his.

"Okay," he said out loud. Then, he asked Daeken, in no uncertain terms, _What the hell do I do?_

"I'll take control," Daeken replied. "I don't have time to teach you correctly. Just watch and you'll get the hang of it. It's your body too, you know."

Link felt his feet walk towards a gigantic pink bloom. Then he felt himself jump on top of it, and in his small Deku body, he was squeezed down inside. There was warm, steamy air in here—it smelled like the air outside, but it was far...steamier. He felt the pressure in the flower build up, and he realized that the steam and warm air was produced by these blossoms.

"Daeken," Link muttered, since no one could hear him from inside the flower and he preferred talking out loud, "Daeken, this thing feels like it's going to explode. We'd better get out of here before we get and extra good look at whatever we hit on the way out."

Daeken actually laughed. "Are you kidding? This is the best part! Grab onto those two little sticks, now."

Link felt one stick on either side of him and his hands found them and gripped them tightly.

"That's good, you don't want to fall. I think I'll do this the first time around only, you're probably a natural and can do it the second time."

"Do what, exactly?" Link asked nervously, but before he got an answer, the steam build-up became too much and he shot up out of the flower.

His grip almost broke the sticks in half, and he would have yelled but Daeken had beat him to it. Daeken's yell, however, was one of pure glee, and after Link got over the shock, he found that he too liked the sensation. His tiny sticks had sprang into flowers, which were rotating rapidly in the wind, propelling him higher.

Link grinned. Daeken controlled his aim by turning the sticks this way and that, almost like using reigns on a horse. Link just enjoyed the ride, turning only once to look at Tayan and Tatl, who were being harassed by two Deku guards that had come from the cell. They seemed to be fighting well on their own, however, so Link didn't worry.

Then the flowers began to slow and stop. Link worried.

But Daeken just used them, almost like wings, to glide to the nearest landing point.

He landed on one of the lookout points with another flower, and squeezed himself in eagerly. This flower was stronger than the last one had been—he shot up in two seconds, and had just managed to grab his sticks before he was whooshing into the air again.

He was having a little trouble steering, but he managed to make it to the next lookout point. There was a guard on this one.

"You have Deku Nuts in our pocket, use them!" Daeken said.

Link pulled one out, shielded his eyes, and threw it at the guard. The guard stumbled and fell off the lookout point, falling into some soft shrubbery that had been put there just in case something like that happened.

"Deku combat," Daeken said happily. "Get in the flower!"

As Link squeezed himself in, he noticed that the guards had finally reacted to their presence and they were shooting something at him—he had no idea what it was.

This time the flower took a moment to heat up, and in that brief period, Daeken quickly told Link to put three or four Deku Nuts in his snout, and spit them back out at the guards.

Link whooshed into the air once more, feeling giddy. He had one Deku Nut in his snout—he thought three or four would be overdoing it—and he worked it out just as a guard tried to shoot some sort of green bubble at him.

"You can do that too, I'll show you later," Daeken said, and Link shut his eyes just as a flash went off down below them. He glided down to the next flower, and risked another look at Tayan, who was pushing the Deku Guards off the landing into the soft shrubbery. Tatl was flying in excited circles around his head.

Link had been living in peace for several months. Just as Zelda had forgotten to fight, he had forgotten the thrill of a real, challenging battle. Yes, he had trained, but the stakes were never real, and no one could ever even give him a decent challenge—he hadn't convinced Kylia to try her luck.

But this—he had to do this to get out of there without being captured, and the stakes were very real. Link knew he should have felt fear or urgency, but instead found himself grinning and feeling overly excited. Fighting was exhilarating.

He knew from Johan that this was how his own father had felt about battle, and he felt a distinct pride rush through him as he squeezed down into the flower.

Daeken could feel the giddiness and pride Link was feeling, but could make no sense of the latter. He too was feeling giddy, however, and he understood that perfectly. Daeken had been a natural fighter in his lifetime, and had been ready to apply for a position at the palace before his life had been taken from him.

He wanted to feel bitter, but he was too hyper over the thought of showing the guards "what for."

Link whooshed up out of the flower, holding tightly to his sticks. He could see the switch ahead, along with the landing. He grabbed onto it as he landed, and the gravity of his fall pulled him down, causing a walkway to materialize. It stretched from his place on his landing by the switch, going along the edges of the wall, all the way to the landing where Tayan and Tatl were. They took off running as soon as they saw it.

"That was wonderful!" Tayan said when he reached Link. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"Aah, Daeken taught me."

The monkey's face fell. "He would be proud to see someone he taught do this well in combat. I wish he could see you now."

Link had no idea how to respond by this, and was saved by a shout coming from one of the guards. Along with the walkway, stairs had appeared, and the Deku Scrubs were gaining on them. Link turned and ran through the doorway, Tayan and Tatl at his heels. He saw the Deku guards rushing up behind him, and met with some others on his way to the next garden. He was on a high bridge suspended above the path he had first taken. The only way out was down. There was nothing left for it.

Link grabbed Tayan's arm and jumped. They fell, perhaps ten feet, and then landed on the ground below. Link had no time to thank the goddesses for being alive; he ran out of the castle as fast as he could, still holding Tayan's arm. He turned around and threw a Deku Nut at the guards who had been in the lower floor and had pursued him. They all cried out, temporarily blinded by the dazzling light.

Link ran outside. The minute he was out of sight of the guards he pulled off the mask, an idea already in his head. Tayan gaped at him. "How...?"

Tatl rolled her eyes. Link ignored her.

"No time to explain, just follow me. Tatl, they saw you, get in my pocket and hide."

Tatl obeyed, diving into Link's pocket. Link was sure the Deku Nut would be worn off by now. He found Zelda and Kylia standing on the peer; Zelda was tapping her foot anxiously and Kylia was taking pictographs. Ninym was with them.

Tayan saw his brother and raced towards him. They embraced.

"Tayan, _hide_," Link said urgently. He hated to break the brothers apart, but it was either him or the Deku guards. "They'll be here any minute but all they'll see is three humans and the 'innocent' monkey, not a Deku and a 'guilty' monkey and a fairy."

"I see," Tayan said, catching on, and he dived behind a nearby bush. Link got out his pictograph box and told everyone to act normal.

Five minutes later, the guards showed up. They questioned Link, Zelda, Kylia, and nearly throttled Ninym before they realized that he didn't have scratches on him like Tayan did. Tayan stayed in the bushes, unmoving, holding his breath.

The guards finally left, and Tayan waited until their footsteps faded before he let his breath out in a long, slow hiss. He climbed out of the bush and then looked directly at Link, then asked the question no one wanted to answer.

"Tell me, shapeshifter, just how did you meet my friend Daeken?"

**AN: **Ta-da! Not nice and long like it should be, but it isn't one of those short ones either. Yay. Review responses!

(...holy shit. I just realized I got ten reviews for last chapter, thank you guys! O.O; Geez, was there something better about that one? Tell me what it was, I wanna do that again!)

**DiscoDude7: **That would be a plothole, friend. It can be covered up for like so: The skull kid elder never said no one comes back from Termina, just said it claims all who go near it. I guess they know about it cause they're elders and damn smart, I dunno. It's just a plothole. Yeeeah. There are tons of them. Everywhere. But unless it's a big one like that, I'm the only one who notices. nn;

**Greki:** Don't apologize, it's okay! I hope you did good on your exams!  
**Pata Hikari: **That has a complicated answer. Kylia will probably never forgive them, and if she does it'll only be Kotake. Everyone else probably will eventually, but it could take a lot of time. After all, those guys were the enemy! nn;

**Hikari:** Lol, Link is just nuts. I'm glad you liked the chap. n.n  
**The Sagittarius Sage:** Lol, don't worry about it, a review is a review. About looking from the games, try GameStop or maybe even Blockbuster, they should have them.  
**Blowfish:** You like that? I think it's a bit weird myself...Link is hearing voices in his head. But it is kinda the basis for the story, and if people like it, I won't complain. nn;  
**ReDeadphobia: **Aw wow! I'm flattered, thankies! n.n  
**aqua seafoam shame:** Shame about the homework. I hate that. Good luck!

**Zeldafreak:** Wow, your reviews made my day for lie three days. n.n I'm truly just flattered, I so do not beat Lord of the Rings, it's supposed to be awesomely awesome, y'know? And I don't want any profit or anything off of your story; it's yours. You can use the stuff in whichever way you like, so long as you don't take the exact text with like changed names or something. nn; I just can't email because my email is all screwed up. Sorry. ;-;

**serenityfaierikin: ** (I hope I spelled your name correctly.) Thank you! n.n Wait, did you just say "angst rules"? Wow, that's a first...normally one could get annoyed by my angst quite easily.

Whew. Now I'm tired. I'll go work on the next chapter now, then. So, peace and love! Byes!


	16. Chapter Fifteen: To Woodfall

**Author's Notes: **Yesss, an MM update! Poor Link acts a bit too hyper in his chapter, I think. I wrote it when I was on a sugar high, so yeah it's kinda messed up. Antways! If you read this before the clock strikes midnight on Oct 30, hear this—before you read this chapter, vote at Walk of Game for Link and Zelda! Go to vote2 (dot) walkofgame (dot) com. Just type in your email and vote. Link's been shot down to third by a bunch of Halo fans, we have to get him back to first place! More info at ZeldaPower (dot) com.

If it's too late by the time you read this, that's okay too. Oh well. Just cross your fingers. Anyways, here's the chappie!

Chapter Fifteen: To Woodfall

Link was speechless.

Oh, sure, he had counted on this; he'd ask questions too if he had been in Tayan's place.

But he still didn't have anything to say.

Ninym, however, turned to his brother, confused.

"What are you talking about, Tayan?"

"This man and the Deku Scrub who helped rescue me, it appears that they are the same person."

"It's not, like, classified or anything, is it?" Link asked his friends.

Zelda bit her lip to keep from smiling and shook her head. Kylia shrugged and Tatl rolled her eyes.

"Okay," Link said. "You take us to Woodfall, teach us how to wake up the temple. We need to go there too, y'know."

"I'd have taken you to Woodfall Temple anyway," Tayan said, smiling. "I need the help of a Deku Scrub to defeat the thing that took the princess. Very well, we can go, but you must tell me everything along the way."

"Deal."

Tayan held out his furry hand and Link shook it, grinning.

"Ninym," Tayan said, "You must go back to the village, and tell everyone what happened. Tell everyone I'm on my way to save Princess Esmeralda, and, aside from a few minor scrapes, I'm fine. Give my love to my sister. All right?"

"No," Ninym said stubbornly. "You need help. I can't let you go alone!"

"He won't be," Kylia said. "We're helping him. And, I don't mean to brag or nothing, but, trust me, we're more than enough to handle whatever's in that temple."

Ninym cocked an eyebrow. "If you say so...good luck, Tayan."

Ninym and Tayan embraced once more, and then Ninym ran off in his monkey-like fashion. He climbed a tree and jumped from branch to branch until he had faded from sight.

"So that's how monkeys get around," Link said. He grinned. "I had to wonder."

Tayan smiled. "This is going to sound quite odd, but normally we prefer to swim. Now, however...."

"So where is Woodfall Temple anyway? And—what village are you talking about? I haven't seen any village...."

"Oh, there's plenty," Tatl said. "There are two or three hidden in the woods where we found those old witches, and then there are a few more on the way to Woodfall."

"Speaking of which," Tayan said, "The temple is this way."

He climbed to the top of a tree to look around.

"Yes, there are roots and lily pads, so we should be able to get there from here."

"Where is your village?" Tatl asked Tayan interestedly as he climbed down from the tree.

"Hidden in the Cursed Forest," he answered. "It's the only mixed village there—by mixed, of course, I mean not just monkeys live there. We have, let's see, Deku, of course, ad several fairies. There was a human there once, but she left. Oh, we've also seen several skull kids, too," Tayan added brightly.

Everyone winced, except for Tatl.

"There were other skull kids here? I wish I had known...."

Link's mind tuned out their conversation. Should he hop on the lily pads, or go with everyone else along the tree roots?

"Zelda," he said, "Do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"If you start falling or anything, have Kylia catch you, so you don't die, okay?"

And with that, he pulled on the mask; with a whoop of joy, he started bouncing on the water. Zelda started laughing.

"Show off!"

Link, knowing she couldn't understand a word he said, simply gave her a small salute when he landed on the next lily pad.

"Get her to tell you how I do that," Link said to Tayan, whose mouth had dropped open. "She can tell you about Daeken, too. I'm a little busy!"

Link sprang off towards the next lily pad.

"What did he say?" Zelda asked.

Tatl rolled her eyes. "Let Tayan translate, cause I'm not gonna, not if someone else can."

And she flew ahead to join Kylia. Kylia had gotten far ahead of Zelda and was just catching up to Link; she could balance extremely well, yet another trait she had acquired by being trained in the merciless Gerudo Valley.

"Yo," Tatl said, when she reached her.

"Yo yourself," Kylia replied with a half smile, leaping nimbly to another set of roots. Tatl flew along steadily, matching Kylia's pace.

Tatl stayed quiet, for once, and thought. Normally she was a chatterbox, but being in a place like the swamp made her think instead of talk.

She had decided she liked Kylia. She and Zelda were always snapping at each other with sarcastic remarks, and she and Link usually bickered a lot, but Kylia was the only one who she got along with. Oh, sure, she got along with Link okay when they weren't bickering, but Kylia was the only one of the bunch who seemed to understand what personal space meant, and she hadn't managed to tick Tatl off yet, not really.

"I'm sorry," Tatl said, seeing that Kylia was very quiet, and probably brooding on the events of the day. "I don't really know what those women did to you, but I'm sorry they did do it and I'm sorry you're still mad over it."

Kylia's initial thought was to smack Tatl into the poisonous swamp water, but then she realized that when Tatl spoke of the event, it didn't give her that tightness in her chest, as if she had been running a long race and couldn't breathe.

Kylia smiled.

"Thanks, I think."

Tatl wondered what the women had done, but she knew better than to ask. Se, like Kylia, understood personal space.

Kylia smiled again. "Thanks for not asking, either. If you really want to know though, I'll tell you."

Tatl shrugged and Kylia knew that meant yes.

"Well, like I said, I'm the Spirit Sage, so of course when I got warped it was to the Spirit Temple. I stayed there for ages, but then those two found me...."

So Kylia told Tatl all about it as they walked, even told her about who Ganondorf truly was, and Tatl listened and responded, not once invading any personal space.

And with that, a friendship began to grow. An unsteady one, yes, an uncertain one, definitely, but a friendship, all the same.

Behind Kylia and Tatl were Zelda and Tayan, going at a slower pace than their companions. Tayan was listening intently to the story of how Link and Zelda came to Termina, and of how they had met Daeken.

"So...so that mask has Daeken's spirit in it?" Tayan asked.

Zelda nodded. "Yeah, it does, and on the night of the Carnival of Time, we can use magic to bring him back to his body. If we don't, though, he'll die for real."

"You will use the magic won't you? Daeken was—is—one of my best friends. He lived in my village."

"I don't know much about the magic," Zelda said truthfully, "but I'll try."

She looked past the trees at Link, who had now mastered doing a flip while in the air.

"He's such a show off, and he only does it because he knows I'm watching," Zelda said with a smile, rolling her eyes.

Sure enough, Link chose that moment to land on another lily pad, look back, and wave. Zelda waved back at him, laughing.

Tayan watched all this with interest.

"I don't mean to pry, but are the two of you affianced?"

Zelda felt her face grow warm.

"No," she said. "But I do love him."

"When he asks you, say yes," Tayan teased.

Zelda's blush grew deeper.

"Oh, stop it. I'm not getting married, I'm too young to even think about that...."

"If you say so, Princess."

"Please," Zelda said, a pained expression on her face, "the name is Zelda."

Tayan chuckled. "My apologies, Zelda. You don't like being a princess, then?"

"No...."

"Why not?"

"Well, there's about a hundred different reasons, really, but the main thing is...aah...."

"You'll have trouble convincing your parents to let you marry anyone but a prince?"

Zelda's face was now the color of a tomato.

"I'll take that as a yes. Esmeralda has the same problem, you know. She loves someone and he loves her back, but neither will say anything to the other, for Daeken is a commoner and Esmeralda is a princess. Please, don't tell anyone I revealed this information to you, both Esmeralda and Daeken would kill me," Tayan added, eyes twinkling.

"I won't. Not as long as you don't tell Link I said...."

"We have a deal, Zelda."

While everyone else talked, Link just jumped, letting out a yell every now and then. He kept looking back to see if Zelda was watching—she always was. He saw her blush and knew at once that Tayan was teasing her about it.

Link bounded off the next lily pad, jumping higher than he had ever jumped before, and Daeken finally spoke up.

"You seem to be in a very good mood," he commented.

"Yeah well," Link muttered, knowing no one could hear him while he was out on the river, "The girl of my dreams is watching me do these really cool—flip thingies."

Daeken laughed.

"The girl of your dreams, now, huh? I thought her name was Zelda."

"I'm in love with the most perfect person in the world. What's more, she loves me back. I can call her the girl of my dreams if I want to."

"You realize that she's a princess—royalty. Not to be rude, but that puts her just a bit out of your reach, doesn't it?"

"I guess it could, a little. But—but I love her and she loves me and her dad is a fairly reasonable person so he doesn't mind us being romantically involved."

"Oh, but would he mind if you married her?"

Link missed a step and fell to his waist in water, only to be propelled back up again by the sickly substance, and he landed on a lily pad. He paused to catch his breath, hands on his knees.

"I meant to do that!" he yelled at Zelda.

He saw her ask Tayan something, and he responded, smiling. She waved at him.

"Sure you did!" she yelled. "But I liked the flips better."

She pretended to stick her tongue out at him and he waved an impatient hand and began jumping again. It was several minutes before Daeken spoke.

"You didn't answer my question, Link...."

"I don't hafta if I don't wanna."

At this point the swamp grew so swampy that Link could no longer jump, because the water was more like mud. He took off the mask, shot a glare at it, and retreated to the tree roots next to Zelda.

"Hello," he said, giving her that grin of his. His eyes seemed to ask her what she thought of him showing off.

She laughed.

"Yes, you're a wonderful acrobat, Link."

"Thank you. Hey, Tayan, how much further to Woodfall Temple?"

"Not too far," Tayan replied. "We're looking for a house that looks kind of like a beehive, and then we'll see some trees that look like giant mushrooms. They have flowers on them."

"_Yes,_" Link said.

"What's so good about that?" Zelda asked, looking confused. Link waved an impatient hand in the air.

"Hey! Slow down, you guys!" he called to Kylia and Tatl. Kylia stopped and let them catch up with her.

"How much farther?" she asked.

"Not far at all," Tayan muttered, as they walked into a cloud of steam.

Kylia raised an eyebrow.

"What's with the steam?"

"Flowers make steam," Link said. "If you're a Deku you can jump in the flowers and fly! No joke! It's awesome."

"And it'll give you more opportunity to show off for your sweetheart," Kylia joked.

Zelda blushed and tried to smile, but Link just turned on his grin.

"Yeah, Zel, you should see me fly! I seriously kick ass. Plus it is just so completely cool," Link said eagerly. The thought of being able to fly again was making him hyper.

Zelda laughed and rolled her eyes.

"I think this is why I love you," she said, taking his hand.

Link grinned at her, and squeezed her hand. His heart had just jumped up to cloud nine and refused to come back down.

Then he turned around to find Kylia trying unsuccessfully to hide her grin.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing."

"There it is!" said Tayan suddenly. He hopped off the tree roots and landed on solid ground, next to a house that looked like a large beehive.

"What's in there?" Link asked curiously.

"Tombs. This is where the people of the swamp bury their dead."

"Oh."

Both he and Zelda were thinking of the Shadow Temple. Link would have accurately described the experience as walking through hell.

The walked along the ground for a minute before the waters turned swampy again. The air grew steamier. Link squinted through the fog and saw large orange objects rising out of the waters.

"How're the rest of you going to get across?" Link asked, already digging in Kylia's backpack for the Deku Mask.

"There are planks built just above the water," Tayan said. "We'll have to cross one at a time, but we can make it."

"How do I get up there?"

"Oh, there's a ladder, somewhere."

Link found the ladder, and climbed it as a human. Before he put on the mask, however, he peered down at them all.

"You guys go across first, that way if you fall I can use my awesome wooden feet jumpy powers to rescue you."

Zelda tried not to giggle, but Tayan rolled his eyes. Each orange mushroom-tree was hollowed out in the middle, and had two openings. One opening of one mushroom-tree was connected to another opening of another mushroom-tree by a very sturdy looking plank.

"They aren't as strong as they look," Tayan said. "I'll go first. Zelda can go after me. Zelda, please don't step on the plank until I've reached the next tree."

"Okay," said Zelda.

From where Link stood, it looked like a string of small rodents crawling inside a maze. The path from mushroom-tree to mushroom-tree was far from straight, and the minute Tayan reached the next tree, Zelda would follow him, and after her came Kylia and Tatl.

Link waited until they got out of sight before donning the Deku Mask. As soon as he had it on, Daeken spoke again.

"You still didn't answer my question."

"Ah, hush," Link said, since no one was around. "It's kinda hard to see, think I can do it?"

"Yes," said Daeken. "When we get there remind me to teach you how to shoot bubbles."

"It's on my To Do List."

With that, Link eagerly squeezed himself into the flower that was on top of the mushroom-tree. The flower was a sluggish one and it was several seconds before Link finally shot up out of the flower. He let out a whoop of joy.

Kylia, from further ahead, heard his cry and rolled her eyes and smiled at the same time.

"He really does like to show off, doesn't he?" Tatl asked.

"Only cause it's Zelda," Kylia said. "You heard her say she loves him? They've been beating around the bush about it for ages. The making out you saw was probably their heartfelt confession."

Tatl actually laughed.

"He's so flirty," she said. "So flirty it's funny."

"That's why she keeps laughing," Kylia said, grinning. "She thinks it's funny when he flirts too. She always get all shy and everything, but lately he's been shaking off the whole shyness thing, unless you mention the word marriage or, until last night, love."

Link, since he was moving in the air, was flying faster than his friends were walking, and he soon caught up with them. He landed on the mushroom-tree Zelda had been about to enter and waved at her. She raised an amused eyebrow as he darted inside the flower and popped back up a few seconds later, with whoop of joy that told the world he was having the time of his life.

Kylia watched as he landed on another mushroom-tree, and said something to Tatl. Tatl burst into giggles, and Tayan began laughing as well.

"What did he say?" Kylia asked.

Link said something else and Tatl caught her breath.

"He says we can't tell you."

"That's awfully nice of you," Kylia said.

Link, had he been human, would have wiggled his eyebrows at her. But he settled for a wave and departed, hopping from flower to flower until his companions were once again out of sight. He waited until they had caught up with him before taking to the air again. The whole trip took about ten minutes, but it seemed longer with Link showing off, first at the lily pads, and then on the mushroom-trees.

The trees came to an abrupt end, facing a waterfall. There was a small landing on either side of the waterfall. Link flew over to the landing on the left, where there was another flower, and used that to fly to the landing on the right, where he could see a door. Tayan, Zelda, Kylia, and Tatl, however, walked on tree roots until they got just below the right landing, and then climbed the rocky surface about halfway up, until they reached the top half of a rope ladder.

When they had at last all reached the right landing, Link took off the Deku Mask and sat down heavily, leaning on the rocky wall.

"I'm bushed," he said. "What do you say we nap here for a few years, and then go to Woodfall Temple?"

"We could leave you here," Tayan said innocently. "But you'd be ill-advised to fall asleep here as any creature but a Deku, however. The waterfall is poisonous too, you know, so the mist it's creating is like a toxic fume. We're all breathing in poison that will eventually rot our lungs."

"You sound awfully calm about that," Kylia said, sounding alarmed.

"The process takes weeks," Tayan mouthed at Kylia, waving a hand.

Link jumped to his feet.

"We're breathing poison? That ain't good. Is the Woodfall Temple through this door?" Link frowned. "What are you guys laughing at?"

"Yes, it's right through here," Tayan said, leading them into the dark tunnel. "Don't bother with the mask, there's a wooden plank walkway here."

Link made a noise that sounded like disappointment. They walked through the darkness for a short time, and when they arrived at the other side of the tunnel they had to blink because it seemed so bright. There were tree stumps here, and wooden plank walkways connected them.

Tayan led them up and up, higher and higher, until they were on a large stone shrine about ten feet above the middle of the swamp.

"Okay," he said, turning to them, "Anyone got an instrument?"

"I have an ocarina," Link said.

"Not loud enough."

"This ocarina is."

"Trust me, no ocarina is loud enough. Daeken had a set of Deku Pipes, but...."

"Ask him about it," Zelda said. Kylia dug through her pack and located the mask. She tossed it to Link.

Link donned the mask and in ten seconds he was a Deku again.

"Deku Pipes?" Daeken asked.

_Yeah,_ Link thought. _Tayan says my ocarina ain't loud enough .Shows what he knows._

"It isn't," Daeken said, but Link couldn't decide if he was correcting his language or siding with Tayan.

_Whatever,_ Link thought. _Where are the pipes?_

"Touch the ocarina. It is the Ocarina of Time, right?"

_How did you...?_

"Lucky guess. Just touch it."

"Tatl, or Tayan, tell Zelda to give me my ocarina."

Tayan translated and Zelda handed it to him.

The minute his wooden fingers touched it, it changed shape, growing larger and larger, and more distorted. Soon, Link did not have the Ocarina of Time in his hands.

He held a set of Deku Pipes.

"Yow, these are huge," he said, and Tayan translated as he spoke. "It'll change back if Zelda touches it right?"

Zelda waited in silence for Link's next comment.

"What do you mean no?"

"What do you mean no?" Tayan echoed.

"Oh. Well that's okay then. Okay, Tayan, how do I play this?"

"Oh, here, it's on the side of the pipes, let me read it...."

Tayan read the song that Esmeralda had taught him, just to make sure he remembered it correctly. Then he slowly hummed it under his breath.

"The Sonata of Awakening," he said. "Play it, Link."

But Link wasn't listening.

"What the hell...?"

"Link? What's wrong?"

"I have this weird feeling...."

"Take off the mask, the guards are coming!"

Link pulled off the mask, and when his human fingers touched the Deku Pipes, the wood turned back into the smooth surface of the Ocarina of Time. He whirled around to find several Deku Guards heading his way, along with the Deku King. No one looked very happy.

"Should we jump?" Link muttered to Tayan, who looked as though he might have done just that.

"Not yet."

The guards were coming up the narrow wooden path in a single file line. The Deku King followed them. Link was sure, thanks to Daeken, that he had pulled off the mask in time, but even if the guards did not know who eh was, they would certainly recognize Tayan, who was trapped on the stone shrine with no escape.

The guards filed onto the stone shrine, blocking all paths of escape. They looked weak, but with their numbers, they were a force to be reckoned with. Link had seen how powerful a Deku Scrub could be in combat first hand, and he was a novice.

"Get the monkey!" said the Deku King, No one had to translate hat sentence; the guards sprang into action at once, aiming for Tayan. They all had razor-sharp spears and Tayan, looking as though he wished he _could_ jump into the swamp water, had no choice but to allow them to tie his arms.

"Stop it!" Zelda said sharply when they pushed him to the ground.

"Don't you order me around, girlie!" the Deku King said, and Tatl did a rapid-fire translation under her breath in Zelda's ear. "He killed my daughter! His fate shall be the most painful I can give him!"

"He's innocent!" Zelda said passionately, stepping forward, her fists clenched in an effort to control her temper. "He didn't set the swamp on fire! It's his home too! Why would he burn it?"

"I don't care to know how this murderer's mind works," the Deku King said coldly.

Tatl translated again and Zelda turned red with fury. She had taken quite a liking for the friendly monkey and hated to see him hurt.

"I'm telling you he didn't do it," Zelda said furiously. "He tried to _help_ your daughter. He tried to save her life! She may still be alive!"

"If he didn't set the swamp on fire, who did?" roared the Deku King, and several guards shouted and murmured in agreement, nodding.

"A skull kid called Maclar."

These words issued, however, not from Zelda, but from Tatl.

"Yeah, you heard me," she said angrily. "A stinking skull kid did it and I didn't try and stop him. If anyone's guilty it's me and Maclar."

Kylia was fairly impressed by Tatl's words. She exchanged a glance with Link and knew immediately they were both thinking the same thing: The Deku guards could capture a small fairy better than they could a monkey, and if they believed Tatl to be guilty they might take her instead; it had taken courage and heart they didn't know she had possessed to stand up for Tayan.

But....

"The monkey is the guilty one," the Deku King said. "Unless you bring back my daughter, alive, you cannot say any different."

"All you have to do is let me teach them to wake the temple!" Tayan said. He was immediately knocked to the ground again and spat upon by the guards. One of them kicked him in the stomach and both Tayan and Zelda cried out.

"Quiet!" the guard ordered.

"You aren't supposed to know how to wake the temple," the Deku King said, and his words were echoed twice; Link was translating in Kylia's ear and Tatl was translating into Zelda's. "You've done nothing but harm! Take him back to the palace!"

"Stop!" Zelda said. "Stop it! Give us time!"

"Time?" the Deku King repeated. "We have little time left. Look up above you, fools!"

"Dawn," Zelda said. "By dawn tomorrow we'll have your daughter back."

"She is dead. She won't be coming back."

"She's alive! Give us until sunrise! Have mercy, at least give us a chance to prove he's innocent! Wouldn't your daughter want you to have mercy?"

Stunned silence. Zelda knew it was wrong to have used this against the Deku King but she had had no choice. She waited with baited breath until his next words were spoken.

"You have until dawn tomorrow. Then we begin the torture. Let's go, men."

**AN: **Okay, there you go. Boring? Short? I know. But I couldn't wait any longer, I had to tell about Walk of Game. Here's the review responses:

**aqua seafoam shame: **Homework...hmm, yes...I believe I've heard if it...ah, I remember now! Homework, I believe, is that thing that teachers give us at the end of class, ne? I never have time to finish it before I go home though...it's a shame, because I know they can't actually expect me, the Frizzy One, (that refers to the gigantic brown bush on my head) to do schoolwork at home? Hm hm hm....**  
Blowfish:** Ooooh, if you hated them for hurting the monkey before I know you hate them now. And, duh, for the first time I realize...your pen name! Blowfish the **Monkey** Tamer! I do have to ask though...why Blowfish???**  
****serenitythefaierikin**Whoa, stop and rewind. The best? Surely you jest. (I made that rhyme on purpose, whee. :p) And trust me, you'll eventually get annoyed with my angst. I can be downright depressing if I want. I'll get into a depressed stage and put Link through hell and make you go like this: Oo' WHAT THE FUCK.**  
DiscoDude7:** Sorry, you asked, and I aim to confuse. (Not really. :p)  
**ooka-chan: **Ohmigosh...you...reviewed...almost...every...single...chapter. I love you! (glomps and nearly knocks you out) Oops, sorry. Anyways. Reviews never bother me. I thrive on reviews. I see the little "Review Alert!" message in my inbox and just start smiling or whatever. A Majora's Mask ROM is just where you can play the game on the computer, but I can't find a good N64 emulator or any MM ROM at all, so I don't have one. n.n; Yes, I'm still in school, I'm fifteen...well, I'll be sixteen in June...and I still haven't gotten my permit...damn.... Wait...how old did you think I was? Oo'  
**Hikari:** Link is based on my brother. Seventy five percent of him acts exactly like my brother. (George isn't quite as hyper as Link can get.) When I get ticked at my brother, he does that sometimes. (Makes faces and acts like an idiot, I mean.) Trust me, it's annoying. You **wanna** stay mad but he won't let you. Thank the powers that be you **don't** know anyone who can do that trick.  
**Kitana4:** Aww, thank you! I hope this wasn't too terribly long of a wait, even though I know it was...I got caught up with my other story/stories/WHATEVER! As for the personal Link, give me the clone and you can have a share of my cucco army and a million rupees...for free. I love t3h Linky so much. He's so super uber sexy. n.n  
**The Sagittarius Sage:** Oh no, I'm sorry...please don't feel stupid. K, do you mean the actual woods or the swamp in general? They were in the woods cause they had decided to go to the four places in Termina to find the Giants, cause Tatl said the Giants could help them. But they decided to go to the swamp cause they had met Daeken and wanted to help him first...but if you meant the woods, it was because the monkey asked them to go help the hag. They needed the boat cause the water was poison and there were no tree roots for non-Dekus to walk on. Basically Link and Zelda are saps for doing the right thing so that's why they helped the cute lil monkey. And, cause the other monkey asked them to. Besides Tatl didn't want the first monkey to die cause of what she sort of did. When they were going across the water Link hopped on lily pads and his feet bounced off the water cause he was wooden. The flower things, basically in MM, you can fly as a Deku if you jump down inside these pink flowers, and they shoot you back up and you can hover for a minute or two. The flowers are like really huge so midget Link can get in there. We never see the inside of the flower tho. Dang! Anyways I'm really super uber (hehe, that's fun to say out loud) sorry I messed you up, did that help any? Cause if it didn't I'm sorry....  
**Pata Hikari:** Hehe, was that big? I just don't have the **ability** to do it like the game. I'm sorry but they lacked sooo much in the story development. Good stories, but—**dear Nayru!**—they could have been so much more...which...I think...is why I started writing in the first place. Because I hated the ending of OoT so much. Aaaanyways.

I think I got everybody. I dunno, I haven't done anything about the going-ons in Hyrule in ages, but I do want to cover something in Termina first...either way expect to be updated about the adventure on the Other Side (sorry, bad pun, but I couldn't resist) very soon.  
  
Now I'm hyper, so I'll go start another chapter! (Not sure which story.) Bye!

I just wanna say though, a note to you hooligans mistreating all those poor trees, by throwing toilet paper on all of them—**_ROT IN HELL YOU BASTARDS._**

You don't mess with trees around a hippy like myself. (Yes, hippie. I have been a hippie wannabe since age five. So there.) Bye for real now!  
  
**EDIT:** Sadly I didn't manage to get this up till waaaay after midnight, several days past when the dates were due, because my computer is an ass. I can't review anymore and it's getting difficult to post chapters. Damn! Oh well. Everyone cross your fingers—the written votes still have to be counted!! GOOO LINK!


	17. Chapter Sixteen: Chocolate

**Author's Notes: **Another MM update. It has one brief piece of Termina and then zips back to Hyrule. YAY! This is another bedtime chapter, so let's zoom! Here it is!

Chapter Sixteen: Chocolate

It wasn't until he put on the Deku Mask that Link realized what had happened.

After the guards had gone, taking Tayan with them, Link had been the only one with enough sense to turn the ocarina into pipes and check the side for the notes used to wake the temple.

That had been a spectacular sight to say the least. It rose up magnificently out of the swamp water, walkway and all, and, after they finished gaping, the four adventurers went inside.

And then it happened.

_Thanks for warning me about the guards, _Link thought at Daeken. _If you hadn't they woulda took me too._

But Daeken's reply had shocked him.

"I didn't warn you about the guards," Daeken said, sounding confused. "You just pulled off the mask all of the sudden."

_No,_ Link thought, _you said, something like, "Take off the mask, the guards are coming!"_

"I didn't say a thing," Daeken told him. "There must be someone else in communication with you. It would take an extremely powerful type of magic, but it is possible. They could be listening in at this moment."

_What are you talking about?_ Link thought uneasily. _I would've known if it was a different voice._

"You might not have. It's hard to tell. I seem to recall one other time when the same thing might have happened. You told Tatl I was talking to you, before you knew who I was, and said Zelda couldn't hear me because I was 'whispering.' But I hadn't said anything then either."

_A voice told me,_ Link thought, _that...geez, I can't remember! They said, that Maclar can destroy a whole world. That maybe not alone he couldn't, but he could now. The voice said he'd done it before but I don't think they meant Maclar...._

"They had to have meant Maclar. No one else is currently trying to destroy the world."

_I know. They were talking quiet. Real quiet. Or Zelda would have heard,_ Link thought._ Because she heard _you, _remember?_

"Do you have any idea who it could have been?"

_No,_ Link thought. _I don't._

- - -

"Hey," Wes called to Malon.

She was on the roof of the barn, staring out at Hyrule Field. Wes had just come from the front gate, but she had been brooding and hadn't noticed him until he called out.

After they had found out what had happened—Link and Zelda had changed time—everyone had stayed awhile and then gone their separate ways, agreeing to meet again on the "Final Day" when the moon would fall. This was day one, but it was the second time Wes had been to see Malon since being sent back three days.

He himself had happily stayed at the Inn; he wouldn't be missed at his home because his mother knew where he was, and knew that he could be there for a week. As long as time kept going back in time, he could stay at the Inn.

But he had asked Johan, just to make sure.

"Of course you can stay," was Johan's reply. "Why would I have said otherwise?"

"I dunno," Wes had answered, "But I like it better here than at home."

Malon now saw Wes waving at her and she waved back.

"I'll be right down," she called.

Wes watched her disappear and reappear a moment later outside the barn door.

"You promised to teach me how to ride a horse," Wes reminded her. "Really ride a horse. You practically had to escort mine to Lake Hylia for me."

Malon laughed. "Okay, come in and choose a horse."

The day when they had gotten the potion ingredients and Wes came to the ranch to pick up Malon, the day when Wes had first visited, Malon had finally noticed how skittish he and the horses were around each other, and she had vowed to teach him to ride properly.

Wes picked out a very normal horse, a dark brown one. Malon noticed that the color of the horse matched the color of his eyes. It was dark brown all over, but had a dark cream colored mane and a dark cream colored tail. There were patches of the same color around its hooves, and one small patch around the horse's right eye.

"Her name's Chocolate," Malon said. "Coco for short. Cause of her color. She's really friendly even though she's kinda big. Go on and pet her. You want a carrot?"

"I hate carrots."

"I meant for Coco."

"Oh. Sure."

Wes hesitated at first, but was soon getting along very nicely with the horse. Chocolate seemed to like Wes well enough; she liked for him to rub and pet her, and they were able to have what Link called "one sided conversations" with each other.

"Want to learn how to ride now?" Malon asked.

Wes was still a bit nervous around horses in general, but he liked Chocolate.

"Okay," he said.

Malon started giggling. "You look like you've just signed your own death warrant."

"Maybe I did," Wes said wryly. Giving Chocolate another rub, he let Malon lead both of them out to the corral. When they were out there Wes took a deep breath of fresh air and asked, "Does this hurt?"

"For pity's sake, you were the one who asked me to teach you. It's easy. Link can do it. And he hates huge animals. He has cow phobia."

"He what...?"

"Never mind. Point is, you _can_ do it. Coco likes you. So it won't be hard. First thing you do is get on the horse."

Wes put a foot in one stirrup of the saddle. "That's kinda high up."

"You'll get used to it."

"You're not gonna laugh when I make an idiot of myself, are you?"

Malon arched one eyebrow.

"Just get on the horse."

Wes tried to swing his leg over the other side and wound up nearly jumping over the horse and landing on the other side. Fortunately he caught himself just in time and climbed down at a slower pace to avoid face planting.

He looked up to find Malon's bright blue eyes sparkling with amusement. He gave her a sarcastic smile and tried again, from the other side of the horse.

"I can do it from this side," he said, patting Chocolate's mane.

Malon hit her forehead with the palm of her hand.

"I'm so stupid. I'm left handed like Link so I usually use the side I put you on, but you're right handed."

It was Wes's turn to be amused.

"Okay, I'm on the horse. Now what?"

Malon whistled for one of her horses and she mounted, riding sidesaddle because of her skirt. She tried to teach Wes with her skirt on, but finally it got on her nerves and she went inside to put on a pair of pants. Wes was a fast learner, and, though he wasn't comfortable about most horses, he liked "Coco" quite a bit.

It was dusk when he decided he could ride. He had already started learning to vault fences. He and Chocolate could talk now, "practically just by using telepathy or something," as Wes put it.

"Shame, really," said Wes. "She'll forget me if time goes back again."

"No she won't," Malon said, leading Chocolate and her own horse into the barn. "Horses don't forget."

"How would you know?"

"I spent my entire life around horses. I live way out here in the middle of nowhere. Before I met Link, horses were my only friends. Well, horses and cuccos and cows and the occasional stray cat or dog."

Wes smiled. "I'd like a dog, or a cat. My only friend before I met you guys was Kara."

"Why?"

Wes found this such a ridiculous question at first that he almost laughed. Then he realized Malon really didn't know. How could he have expected her to? No one knew what his life at home was like, no one knew that he couldn't have friends over, no one except Kara and her family, and not even they knew the full extent of how horrible it was to be at his own house.

"I don't get out much," he lied. From next to him, Chocolate gave a loud, impatient snort.

"She doesn't believe you."

Malon began climbing the ladder to go back to the roof of the barn. Wes followed her.

"Why don't you really have any friends?" she asked when they were both up there.

"I told you," Wes said, "I don't get out much. I'm a hermit. An antisocial freak. I think the vast majority of people suck."

Malon burst out laughing. "You don't mean that do you?"

"Only some of it," Wes said, smiling in spite of himself, glad for the change of subject. He looked at the darkening sky and grimaced. "I gotta go. It's almost dark and even though there's like, no Stalchildren out anymore, I like the field better at daytime."

"Okay," Malon said. "If you need a horse, just whistle, Coco'll probably come running."

Wes laughed. "Okay."

They walked back down to the gate of the ranch, and then it happened. In one swift movement Malon leaned over and placed a soft kiss on Wes's cheek.

"See you tomorrow?" she asked, smiling.

Wes smiled back. "You bet. Bye!"

"Bye!"

Wes smiled all the way back to the Market. He had liked Malon for quite awhile; he knew who she was because she always came to the Market to deliver milk and other goods, since her father sold his stuff in Kakariko. She obviously felt something for him too, if she had kissed him, even if it was just one on the cheek.

Obviously she didn't care he had been possessed.

On the way back to the Market, he thought of his mother. She'd be pleased he'd made some friends. She had seemed fairly happy when he had visited her before. Perhaps Rob hadn't had another fit lately.

Rob was Wes's stepfather. Wes hated the man and had no idea how his mother had managed to wind up in a situation like she had. Rob hit Wes's mother, but Wes had learned long ago that he couldn't help her. He wasn't as big as Rob and if he got in the way he and his mother just got Rob's wrath twice as bad. So Wes avoided the situation, getting out of the house as much as possible, staying at Kara's when there was no other option.

Wes sighed. He should go check on her. He knew he had been away from home a long time, and knew that if time repeated itself it could seem like even longer to him. The least he could do for his mother was to make sure Rob didn't kill her.

He was at the drawbridge. He sprinted the rest of the way to the Market, checked the Inn and found that Johan was out, left a note to tell him where he was going for the night, and walked back towards Kakariko. He only saw one Stalchild, and, as Wes was a fast runner, it gave up chase two minutes after spotting him.

Kakariko was the stereotypical small town; it had practically stopped working since the sun had gone down. There were lights on in his house, however. He heard no yelling and took that as a good sign. He let himself in the front door.

"Anyone home?" he called softly.

Rob was fast asleep on the couch, and he smelled of alcohol. Wes snorted in disgust.

"Mom?" he called softly. "You here?"

He found her upstairs in her room, putting on makeup, to hide a large bruise on her collarbone. The bruise was half covered, and she jumped when he came in, looking guilty.

"Mom...are you okay?"

His mother sighed. "Oh. you scared me, baby. I'm fine, I just got smart with Rob. He didn't mean to hit so hard."

Wes had gotten used to the excuses long ago, and he had also gotten used to the way his mother acted, as if Rob hitting them around was okay.

"Do need some ice?" Wes asked.

"No, baby, I'm fine. Did you have fun at your friend's house?"

For a moment Wes wondered if she remembered when he had told her that over the last cycle of three days but then he remembered that that was what he had always told her.

"Yeah. I came back just to spend the night, though."

"You're leaving tomorrow?"

"If it's okay with you," Wes said, knowing it would be. She had always cried if he got hit, and she at least wanted him to get out of the house when Rob was drunk.

"It's fine, baby. Have you been up to anything exciting?"

"You don't know the half of it."

His mother smiled. "I was going to go to bed as soon as I got finished with this," she said, "But I can make you something if you're hungry."

"Nah, I ate at Malon's house. Thanks, though."

"Who's Malon? A new friend?"

"Yeah, she's teaching me how to ride horses."

"Oh, that does sound fun," his mother said. "Your father loved animals, but I was always so scared around them. I never could get along with a horse. There, all done," she added. "You ready for bed?"

Wes nodded. His conversation had been normal enough, but inside he seethed with anger. He hated Rob for hitting his mother like that and he hated his mother for just taking it. He hugged his mother and kissed her on the cheek before going to his room. He changed his clothes and lay down on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He wished he was bigger. If he could he would have fought Rob, but Rob was still twice his size at least.

He eventually drifted off to sleep, but his dreams were filled with his mother crying, or Rob shouting. He awoke with a start sometime later, to find that his nightmares had become a reality. His mother and Rob were having yet another quarrel.

"I'm sorry, Rob, we're out, you drank the last of it earlier...."

"I want a damn drink. If you have to walk to the Market and get it for me then I'll have one!"

"Th-the shops are all closed, Rob, it's two in the morning...I'm sorry...."

Wes felt the anger, hate, and fear flood through him when he heard Rob slap his mother. He wanted like crazy to go down and stop it but he couldn't. He was powerless to do anything but listen.

"Please, Rob...you'll wake Wes...."

Wes felt as though someone had punched him in the stomach.

"Don't talk about me," he found himself saying softly, shaking with fear or anger or grief or maybe all three. "Please, Mom, don't make it any worse...."

But he heard her get hit again and a tear rolled down his face. He wiped it away but he wasn't ashamed. He had always cried if she got hit. Always.

Finally he decided he could take no more. For the first time since he was very young, he propelled himself downstairs during the middle of the fight.

"Stop it, Rob!" he said when he reached the bottom of the stairs. "Don't hit her."

Rob turned towards him, his eyes unfocused.

"I took them, the drinks," Wes lied. "It's my fault. Don't hit her. I did it."

"I'll make sure you don't do it again!"

It didn't last long. Rob yelled, and that was scary, but he hit Wes, too, leaving him with a bloody nose and a large bruise beneath his right eye. Wes didn't cry out, even though it hurt terribly. Rob got finished with him and dragged him by the arm to the door. He opened it roughly and pushed Wes out, and slammed it shut behind him.

"Don't come back without my beer!" he called after Wes.

Wes picked himself up angrily, wiping his nose and his eyes. He began the trip back to the Market but he had no intention of getting Rob anything; he had done what he wanted to do, kept his mother out of trouble, and that was all that mattered. Rob would be sober by the next morning and he wouldn't get drunk again like that for a little while. His mother would be okay.

He found the drawbridge with no trouble from Stalchildren. He tried the door to the Inn, and found it locked. He saw that a window had been cracked to let in a breeze, and he climbed through that. He landed softly on the floor of the front room of the Inn, but it was a face first fall and it didn't help his nose any.

He sneaked quietly down to the kitchen and found some ice and water, and eventually his nose stopped bleeding and the bruise on his face was just that—a bruise. It had stopped swelling.

He made hi way quietly back up the stairs, looking for his room. On his way he bumped into someone.

"Ow!" he said.

"Ouch!" said the other person. "I can't see—who are you? Wait, is that Wes?"

"Yeah...Johan?"

"Yes."

"What're you doing up?"

"Thought I heard a thief sneaking around. But it as only you."

Wes could _hear_ Johan grinning. He rolled his eyes.

"I'm not interested in anything but a bed."

"Fair enough, you can tell me what happened tomorrow."

"Thanks. Night."

"Night."

Wes and Johan moved past each other in the dark, and at last Wes found his bed and collapsed onto it. Sleep claimed him at once, and he didn't feel or think again until it was morning, and sunlight was streaming through his window.

He got out of bed and stumbled to his mirror so he could view the full extent of the damage. He groaned. There was no way not to notice the huge purplish bruise that had formed beneath his eye. He thought about taking off but he knew he wouldn't get far. He had to think up a cover story, fast, because he knew Johan had a person woke up if they slept past eleven.

He had had such a great day yesterday, he thought miserably, and Rob went and messed it up. Why yesterday? Surely he could have picked any day but yester—

That was it. Yesterday. He could tell Johan he fell off the horse he was riding, and hurt himself. It was believable enough. Wes got along with the majority of animals like a cat got along in a pool of water.

It turned out he hadn't figured it out a moment too soon, for, within the following minutes, Johan knocked softly on his door. He knew it was Johan—no one else would have bothered to knock, for they had generally accepted him as one of the "huuuge family," as they liked to call it, and, while it was nice to be accepted among a group of people, it meant giving up certain rights, such as sleeping in, or privacy when one wanted to do so.

"I'm up," Wes grunted.

Johan opened the door and walked on.

"Good," he said. "Jai's still here and she was begging me to let her throw some water—"

Johan stopped short when he saw Wes. Wes pretended not to notice.

"At least Jai asked," he said, in an attempt to joke.

"Wes, what happened?" Johan asked, frowning.

"What, this?" Wes touched his face. "I was hoping you wouldn't ask. This is the result of me trying to ride a horse. I swear all animals must hate me or something. I just can't ride horses, seriously."

It was the perfect excuse, the perfect tone. He said it in an offhand manner, as if it didn't matter. But he made the fatal mistake of saying just a little too much just a little too quickly, and Johan always—_always_—knew when he was being lied to.

"Wes," Johan repeated, "What happened? How did you get that bruise?"

"I just told you," Wes said.

"You were lying. Don't even bother, I always know when someone is lying. What happened last night? You left a note saying you had gone home then snuck back in through the window."

Johan had very good guess about what had happened, but he was hoping against hope that it wasn't so, that he was wrong.

But he wasn't going to get the truth out of Wes unless he asked the right questions.

He didn't know it, but Wes had always wanted someone to ask the right questions. He couldn't tell on his own, and he'd fight it if they _did_ ask him what happened, yes, he'd lie; but if someone like Johan played their cards right he could tell the whole story and finally be rid of his burden and he wanted that more than anything else in the world.

"Did someone hit you?" Johan asked evenly.

"No," Wes lied.

_Ask me again,_ he prayed.

"Then what happened?"

"Nothing."

_Don't believe me,_ Wes thought.

"I told you lying won't do any good around me. Someone did hit you, didn't they?"

"No."

"Wes."

"They _didn't_."

"You are not leaving this room until you give me an honest answer. This room can be pretty boring. No food, no water, no card games, no pretty red-headed girls to flirt with. You'd best spit it out, and I'm telling you this in your own best interests."

Wes couldn't help but smile—just a little.

"Now. Did someone hit you?"

"Maybe."

"Who hit you?"

"Whoa. Hold it. I didn't _say_ anyone hit me."

"You said maybe and that's close enough. Who hit you?"

And there was no point in fighting it anymore. Johan was asking all the right questions.

Wes took a deep breath and let it out in a long slow hiss; when he spoke next his voice was in a flat, emotionless monotone.

"Rob did," Wes said, staring at the wall, no expression crossing his bruised face.

"Who's Rob?" Johan asked steadily.

"My stepfather," Wes answered, still staring at the wall, speaking as though he had no soul.

"Why did he hit you?"

"I told him I stole all of his drinks."

"Did you?"

"No, but I should."

"Then why did you tell him that?"

"So he would stop hitting in my mother."

"Why was he hitting her?"

"He ran out of whatever the hell he was drinking and got mad. Th nearest human being was his venting tool."

"Does he do that a lot?"

"Sorta. Mostly, he just yells, but every once in awhile he'll hit mom and if I get into it he'll hit me and sometimes when I get into it he hits us both twice as hard."

"How many people know about this?"

"Four. You, me, Mom, and Rob."

Johan exhaled slowly. "You're not going back to that house."

Wes looked at Johan as if the man had suddenly sprouted an extra arm.

"I can't just leave my mother there."

"Then we'll tell someone and they can haul Rob off to jail."

"No," Wes said. "You don't get it. That'd mess stuff u. Listen, I like you and all, but you don't have any idea how I feel about this. Getting people involved is the wrong thing to do, okay?"

"I don't know exactly how you feel, I'll give you that one, but I probably understand just a little bit better than you think I do. I ran away from home because my dad was a lot like Rob."

"What about your mom?" Wes asked curiously.

"She was just as bad. Rob's worse than my father was but at least you have someone on your side. Look, I'm old. Not really old, but I'm getting there. I know more than you do. Cause I'm old. Trust me on this—get some help. Don't go back until this whole time travel thing gets sorted out, and then when it does make sure Rob goes to jail and doesn't come back. You'll be a lot better off."

"I don't want everybody else getting mixed up into it," Wes said, sagging visibly.

"You think you don't. You think you can handle it until Rob goes away or your mom snaps out of it. But, the sad truth is, it's highly unlikely that either of those things will happen any time soon."

"I don't want to talk about this right now."

"You don't have to. We have until Link lets the moon fall or until he stops it. We're going to talk about it sooner or later. Maybe after Link gets back, maybe sooner."

"Whatever."

"Just promise me you won't go back home. Okay?"

Wes hesitated but met Johan's eyes and knew there was no escaping it.

"Okay. I promise."

**AN: **Ahh, a nice long chappie for once. Anyways, expect the next update to be on Samuel's Story, merely because I keep forgetting it exists and wanted to do some work on it. Okay, responses, FAST!

**Pata Hikari:** Aww, thanks! n.n  
**Hikari:** Oh yes, it's endless entertainment to watch my mom and brother do it, but not endless entertainment when he does it to me. Anyways, you think Daeken is a snoop eh? Hehe, good, cause he is. Everybody is snoop-ish just so they can torment Linky! n.n  
**Greki:** Don't apologize; it's okay! I hope all your things you're bus with are going okay! n.n  
**ooka-chan: **You think hippies rule? Wow, I'm not alone. n.n And, yeah, like I said Link is seventy-five percent based on my brother. Hard to put my finger on what's different. I think Linky is just more romantic and more hyper, but I'm not sure. Nor can I figure out who the other twenty-five percent is based on. n.n;

Okay, all done!

So, any guesses on who the voice was, the other voice I mean, in Link's head? Have any idea what they were talking about?

Yes?

Damn. Oh well.

I'm off to bed! Night!  
  
**EDIT:** Couldn't post this last night cause the stupid thing wouldn't let me log in. So it goes up today. Plus my chapter on Sam's is almost done, you might see a second chapter today! :D


	18. Chapter Seventeen: Boe!

**Author's Notes: **This chapter is short. So are the Boes. And the Deku Scrubs. I'm being forced away from my computer. Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter Seventeen: Boe!

"Zelda, slow up—oh, damn it, she can't understand me, Tatl, tell Zelda to slow up!"

"Zelda? Link says to slow down."

"I said slow _up._"

"Whatever."

The structure that had risen up out of the waters was no different, on the inside, than the swamp around it. There had been one front hall where they had paused to rest, and now they were exiting it. Zelda had gone first, leaving Link behind. She now stood at the door, one hand on her hip.

"How come you're staying a Deku Scrub, anyway?" she asked.

"I like it," Link replied, and for once, Tatl translated correctly.

Zelda laughed out loud.

"Well, obviously," she said with a smile, "but only if there's a flower around. And the air isn't steamy, so I don't think there are any flowers around he—"

At this point Zelda stopped. She had just pulled open the door to the real temple, and the steam came rushing in to greet them. There was so much steam Link could barely see his hand in front of his face, and his companions had turned into dark shapes that stood around him.

Even Kylia laughed. "Yeah, Link, you're going to have a blast in here, huh?"

Link replied in Deku, so she had no idea what he said, but the tone of his voice matched his actions; he was rocking back and forth on his heels, looking around everywhere for the blessed flowers.

"Become human already," Kylia said, irritated. "You change back if you find a flower."

Link commented back in Deku, and Tatl giggled.

"What?" Kylia asked.

"My mother told me never to use that kind of language," Tatl replied.

Link became human again and, in that mature way of his, stuck his tongue out at both of them.

"I wish we could see through all this steam," Zelda murmured, walking forward. "I've never seen any kind of fog thicker than th—whoa!"

There was a cry of fright and then she was gone.

Zelda appeared to be jerked down by some unknown force, disappearing into the steam. Everyone rushed over to where she had been standing and Link looked down—there was Zelda, eyes wide from terror, knuckles white from gripping the earth above her.

"Guys, help me up!"

She had fallen off the edge of some type of cliff, and was still hanging on—just barely.

"Help me, wouldja?" she repeated. Link pulled her up and they all backed away from the ledge.

"Damn steam," Kylia said. "Now what're we going to do?"

"Give it a minute to air out," Tatl suggested. "This steam has probably been trapped here for a week at least."

So they stopped and sat and waited for the majority of the steam to clear, and while they sat and while they waited, Link told hem about the other voice in his head, with only one or two wisecracks from Tatl.

"Any ideas?" he asked, when he was finished.

This was greeted with a blank silence.

"Guess not."

"Well," Zelda said, "whoever it is, they're trying to destroy the world too, right?"

"Yeah," Link said.

"So wouldn't it make sense if they had somehow teamed up with the skull kid?"

"Yeah, but—"

"I'll bet," Zelda went on, "That this other person is a spirit—the spirit sealed inside that creepy mask the skull kid wears."

"There's an idea," Tatl said. "No wonder he doesn't act like himself with that on. The Maclar I know is optimistic, not suicidal."

"I can't imagine him being optimistic," Link said. "But then Saria would say she can't imagine me being the way I am now, knowing me as a kid."

"Saria?" Tatl asked.

"My best friend. Forest Sage. Remember?"

"Oh. Anyways...."

"Anyways," Kylia repeated, eager to get back on the subject, "There is a spirit in that mask and it's pretty likely that the spirit wants to destroy the world and is semi-possessing Maclar to help him or her do it. Now—who's the spirit in the mask?"

Everyone shrugged.

"We'll figure it out later," Link said, standing up. The steam was as clear as it was going to get by this point, and he wanted to move.

"Watch the cliffs," Zelda warned. They could now see, however, that the room was filled with flowers, and that the only way across was to fly. The floor was hidden beneath blackness and a small bit of steam.

"How's everyone else going to get across?" Link asked suddenly.

Zelda shrugged. Then she saw something near the floor and opened her mouth to speak, but—

"Hold that thought. I'll ask Daeken. Kylia, toss me the mask."

Kylia tossed it to Link and he donned it. After ten seconds of the familiar tingling, he was a Deku Scrub once more.

He didn't have to pose the question before Daeken answered him.

"There's a ladder over there," Link repeated, and Tatl translated for him. "It goes down to the floor. There's a rope other side I can let down for you to climb."

"Firs of all, I tried to show you that ladder, you could've just waited. Second, I am so not going down there," Zelda said. "It's creepy."

"I'm going too," Kylia offered. "And so is Tatl, she'll be our light."

Link thought with a sudden pang of anger, _That's _Navi's_ job!_

But no one seemed to feel that way but him, not even Tatl. Because Kylia was the one who volunteered her, she didn't protest.

"Who's Navi?" asked Daeken. "The fairy who was taken by Maclar?"

_Yeah,_ Link thought at him. Out loud he added, "You sure you guys'll be okay down there?"

"We'll be fine," Kylia assured him after Tatl had translated.. "Go ahead and find the rope."

So Link used the flowers to fly to the other end of the room. He was there, human, and lowering the rope in about five minutes.

The people on the floor had no such luxuries.

Zelda was walking along in the dark with Kylia on one side and Tatl flying in front of her. The floor was eerily silent. It seemed to last forever, and Zelda made sure she stayed facing in the same direction—she knew she could get lost quite easily here.

Then they heard noises around them. It sounded like movement, the scratchings and scurryings of many small creatures. Zelda looked around, but she couldn't see anything through the steam and the dark.

"Does anyone else hear that?"

"Yeah," Kylia and Tatl whispered.

"Just keep walking," Kylia added.

Then two round orange eyes appeared out of the darkness, surrounded by a fuzzy blackness.

"Ohh, look!" Tatl said softly. "It's so cute!"

The thing blinked.

More orange eyes appeared.

"I know," Kylia whispered, a sweat breaking out on the back of her neck, "But they probably aren't friendly."

She slowly drew her swords.

"Just keep walking," Kylia coached in a low voice.

"I dunno, they might be nice," Zelda said. "C'mere, little guy."

One of the pairs of orange eyes slowly approached her outstretched hand. Tatl landed on the handed, eager to see this delightful creature.

"BOE!" the creature yelled, and it tried to bite Zelda's hand.

She was too fast for it. She drew her hand away, leaping back and cursing, then she cursed again as it jumped up and grabbed Tatl in its mouth. Tatl shrieked.

"OhmygoshKyliahelpmegetmeoutgetmeoutgetmeoutpleasepleaseplease HELP ME!"

Kylia hit it with the blunt edge of her sword and it fell back. Three more approached them, and she took care of those quickly.

But for everyone she fought back, at least ten more reappeared.

"Zelda, make fire!" Kylia said. "They have to hate light!"

Zelda muttered something under her breath. There was a quick spark of light that mnade all of the Boes flinch, but other than that, nothing happened.

"Damn, it was a dud. Hold on, let me try again. _Vinérya!_"

Fire shot up from her hands and up to the ceiling. Rubble came crashing down around them.

All of the sudden Zelda's mind was wiped blank. That rubble was all too familiar.

She had gone back in time...she was trying to escape Ganon's Tower....

_It was here where she had nearly been—but she didn't have time to think—the rocks fell, blocking her path—Link grabbed her hand, forced her to keep going—sometimes he fell behind—she wanted to run but she had to wait—air, they were finally out, they could breathe the air—the whole thing fell down around them—and up from the rubble rose a creature so utterly horrifying—_

"Zelda, try again!"

Kylia's voice jarred Zelda back to reality. She was rusty with her magic. She called up the fire once more and managed to keep it above their heads.

After that, all the Boes kept their distance.

"Are you guys okay?"

Link too had seen the falling rubble and experienced a similar reaction as Zelda had. Neither of them noticed it, but their right hands were itching terribly, and glowing slightly.

"We're fine," Zelda croaked, still shaking. She was allowed to climb the rope first—she had changed into a pair of pants before they left, so she was able to do it modestly—then Kylia and Tatl followed her up.

"You all right?" Link repeated.

"Yeah," Zelda said. "I just had...a—a panic attack, I guess."

"Don't feel bad," Link said, taking her hand and giving it a sympathetic squeeze. "Hell, I was all the way over here and I had the same thing."

They smiled at each other and Tatl gagged.

"You know, that Boe thing woulda been funny if it hadn't tried to eat me," she mused, trying desperately to change the subject.

Kylia grinned.

"It was funny anyways," she teased.

Tatl stuck her tongue out at her.

They all walked through the open door, and when they got in, Link whirled around. Everyone stared as he prodded the door, as if waiting for it to explode.

"Nope, no bars," he announced cheerfully.

Zelda actually laughed.

"You do know what this reminds me of, right?" Link asked.

Everyone except Tatl rolled their eyes and groaned good-naturedly.

"What?" she asked, feeling stupid.

"Oh—remember when we told you bout Ganondorf earlier today?"

"Yeah?"

"Well those temples, usually we went in a door, and bars would come running down after us. Me and Sheik—dammit, _Zelda_, her name is _Zelda_—and Navi, we fought through five temples with bars coming down after us. This temple reminds me of those temples, y'know?"

Tatl smiled.

"I s'pose it would," she said, somewhat wistfully. Oh, how she wished she could have been with them on their adventure!

"Wow," said Link. "Lookit!"

The room was filled with purple, poisonous swamp water, but in the middle was a wooden mushroom tree, surrounded by not-so-friendly-looking plants that floated on the surface of the water. Tatl informed them that these plants were hungry and would eat anything but a Deku Scrub and a Boe.

They made their way down a winding tree root that led down and to their left, where they found themselves at a landing with another door.

"_Déjà vu,_" Link said. "Okay, who wants to go in first?"

Zelda laughed again. That had been their ritual when crossing doors, bickering about who would have to go in first and be the bait for whatever was in store for them.

"You go first, you cucco," she told him. Link hated to have his courage questioned, so, he went in first, but only after taking the Deku Mask from Kylia.

And before anyone could follow him, down came the bars.

"How did Doc put it?" Link asked from the other side of the door. "Oh, yeah...'goddammit!'"

There was a great deal of commotion from within the room. They heard something let out a roar, and the walls shook with a deafening crash. Link yelped and then they heard the familiar whoosh the mask made when he put it on. A moment later they heard another crash, and Zelda banged her fists on the door.

"Link?" she shouted.

There was something said, in Deku language. Then there was another crash.

"What?" Kylia asked Tatl anxiously.

"You sure you want me to repeat that?"

"_Tatl!_"

"Okay, fine. First he went, 'Goddammit!' and then he said, 'Oh yeah, I'm so gonna kick some ass!' Or something like that."

"I guess that means he's okay?" said Zelda uncertainly, as another boom rattled her teeth.

Everyone shrugged, eyes wide.

A moment later, the racket stopped and the door opened. Out came Link in Deku form. He pulled off the mask and grinned at them.

"Come and look," he said.

They looked. Inside the room was about a half an inch of clean water. There were several pink flowers, and several beasts, that looked like turtles, except uglier. Tatl informed them that they were called snappers.

"Daeken showed me how to disarm them," Link said proudly, giving the mask a glance of fondness. "They're defenseless now, and they were put here for a reason, so I'm just leaving them. They turn back over sooner or later. I found this," he added, holding up a polished wooden key.

"Sweet," Kylia said. She took it from him and put it in her backpack. "I guess the princess isn't here, though."

"Probably behind some kind of locked door."

"Yep."

Kylia was quite content—after hearing Link and Zelda talk about their quest to overthrow Ganondorf, she wanted to feel as useful as they had been, and now she felt needed, as if she were actually doing something to help, not just sitting idly by while Ganondorf wreaked havoc all over the world. She knew once they got out of Termina, they could hunt Ganondorf down—hunt him down and get rid of him for good.

And she _would_ get rid of him, even if she had to kill him herself.

"By the way," Link said as they exited, "Daeken says that some Deku keep Black Boes as pets. Tame ones," he added, seeing the looks on the faces of his companions.

They looked out over the poison swamp water. For a moment Link stared blankly ahead, then his face lit up with comprehension.

"Lookit!" he said. "There's a locked door."

"On the other side of the swamp, with very hungry plants as the only support," Zelda said, eyebrows raised.

"I can handle it. Tell you what, I'll take Tatl and go to the places where only a Deku can go—you and Kylia search up and down everywhere else? Okay?"

"Okay," Zelda agreed. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. He grinned and put on the mask, and then he was off, hopping on the swamp water towards the locked door.

"Oy! Link!"

Link fell in mid jump and nearly choked. He righted himself and made a wide circle around the mushroom tree, hopping back to them.

"What?" he asked irritably.

"What?" Tatl translated, matching his tone of voice.

Kylia grinned and shook her head.

"Link...you forgot the key."

---

Princess Esmeralda Mary of the Deku Scrubs glared haughtily at her captor, the feared Odolwa. He had to be at least three times the height of a human, and six times hers, but she wasn't afraid of him in the least, she was merely powerless to free herself, and so she waited angrily for help to come.

At least, that was how she acted on the outside.

Until the temple sank.

When it sank into the water she feared she would drown. But the temple stayed in a pocket of air until it was awakened again, later.

Before it had been wakened she had been shaking with fright but trying her best not to show it. She had wanted to cry, but she was stubborn, very stubborn, and she refused to show any weakness in front of Odolwa. Still, as strong as she had been, she had been relieved when the temple rose again. It meant they weren't going to drown, and it also meant that help was on the way.

She stood without a hope of escape on top of the orange flower in the middle of the room. She was an expert flyer, but her hands were tied so tightly behind here there was no way to get inside. It was highly frustrating, and Odolwa knew it, and she _knew_ that he knew it—that was why she had been put there.

She had already had her fill of swearing at him. The first dirty words she'd ever said in her proper, prim life were said in that very room, until she ran out of breath and went hoarse. She found herself wishing she too could shoot poison bubbles, because if she could she knew she could have him down in a minute, or at least extremely annoyed with her.

But to her immense dissatisfaction he didn't appear to be annoyed in the slightest. He just stood there silently, that huge sword of his poised directly above her. He hadn't spoke since he came out of the shadows and dragged her into the temple.

The thing was—and this what really got her—Odolwa was supposed to be _dead_.

The Great Deku King, the first king of their society, had freed all the Dekus in Termina from slave labor by defeating Odolwa, and supposedly used powerful magic to seal his spirit away, so that he would be unable to return from the grave. In fact, she could see horrible scars on his neck, and along his chest. They made her want to shudder, but she couldn't because for one thing, princesses did not shudder, and for another, it would be admitting to him that he creeped her out.

The Great Deku King, she mused, to distract herself from the situation, had died only a short year later, but under his rule, the Deku had developed a civilization, and thoughts and feelings, instead of just being annoying shrubbery. They thrived under his rule, and when he died, they gave him an honorable celebration, to mourn his passing.

That was where the legend began. The Great Deku King had never had any family, or any descendants, said the legend, so a select group had performed a ritual, a ritualthat asked the Goddesses of Hyrule, the blessed land, to do something unheard of—make the Great Deku King immortal.

Tat much of the legend was feasible, but the next part was practically impossible.

The legends said that the Goddesses had heeded the plea, had made the Great Deku King immortal, and they said that he still guarded Woodfall, the swamp, and even the woods on the outskirts, but unseen, like a shadow. The few who had claimed to see him, however had all had the very same story—a dark, shadowy giant, they had said, a giant rose up out of the ground like a breath of wind, saved their lives, and then vanished the same way it came.

She didn't believe any of it. She was a princess and princesses simply didn't hold with such nonsense. Her logical mind, and even her heart, told her that there was a grain of truth in the rumors but the princess in her refused to believe.

She wanted to sigh in boredom but she refused to let her captor know she was uncomfortable. Instead, she sang a song she had learned as a child, a low, haunting melody.

It was, of course, another attempt to annoy him, but instead of annoying him it seemed to scare him. He twitched convulsively, as if that song actually reminded him of something he didn't want to remember.

She hummed it again. She got the same reaction.

Empowered, she sang the song again and again, over and over, and watched the fearful beasts twitch in fear.

When help came, she would be ready.

But until then, she would be a good princess and wait.

**AN:** I can't even begin to imagine Zelda doing that.

Just so you guys know, my mom decided to be an ass and restrict me from the comp till my grades get better, which ain't gonna happen, so I'm only on all I want on weekends, otherwise I have to "earn" hours. Goddammit!

And, yeah, I do happen to think Boes are cute. Really cute. It reminds me of a Digimon except it really is more like a Pokémon cause all it can say is its name. Seriously, though, they are cute and I want one! ;-;

Okay, review responses and then I gotta go.

**Hikari:** Don't feel too bad, I'm the happy ending person, remember? I'm glad you liked the chapter! n.n  
**DiscoDude7:** Everyone says I update fast...why??? I am a slooow updater. Er, anyways, about the theories, thank you very much for not spoiling, cause you were probably right in your theories—you'll have to tell me later if you got it right or not, lol. And I'm very glad you don't mind angst, cause I'm on a depressed streak and there will probably be lots more of it in the future. (Yes, I have problems. :p )

**ooka-chan:** I don't update fast! Oo' And, aah, Link has cow phobia cause...he's crazy. n.n' And it is sad about Wes but I like happy endings. Too bad most people in that situation don't have happy endings like that. : (

**serenitythefaierikin:** Link doesn't need sugar to act goofy. Not my Link, anyways. :p

**The Sagittarius Sage:** Good! I bet it was exactly what they deserved. I'm glad you like the cow thing. n.n

**Blowfish:** I don't have any idea what possessed me to name her Esmeralda. It just seems so...green. Oo' (As for Digimon, it went downhill after the second season, and the fourth one sucked on ice, seriously. ;-; No sexy Matt!) You seemed to be the only one who picked up the thing about Daeken, too, and you're absolutely right. As for the Wes thing, of course Johan won't let him take anymore crap! Johan's been there, as I know you know. Wait...yeah. Not only that but I can just see all the wonderful things I can do with Malon plus Wes's home life. Angst, and lots of it, lol. (Thanks for having an uberly long review, too. They're nice. :p)


	19. Chapter Eighteen: The Deku Temple

**Author's Notes: **Wow. About time, huh? Man alive, this seemed to take forever, even though I know it didn't. It's quite longer than usual, has a bit more blood than usual too. The chapter title...well, don't get the wrong idea folks, it's a joke. n.n; I know I haven't updated my other stories yet, but I've decided (with the exception of Destinies Intertwined) to try and get one at a time. Not all the way done, but a large chunk. That way I won't have to keep switching mindframes.

Ooh, by the way, look around in this chapter for foreshadowing—I'm practicing today I guess. :p Uhm, anyways, enjoy and all that!

Chapter Eighteen: The Temple of Shit

They wandered around the temple all day. Link, who had paired himself with Tatl and expected to regret it, was having the time of his life. He had fought several horrible creatures, as both human and Deku, and could now shoot poison bubbles, when in his Deku body. He was also starting to enjoy Tatl's company—he began to brag to her, and to his surprise he realized that she didn't know him very well, and she believed some of the things he said that weren't true, such as how he had single-handedly fought off six stalfos at once, when in fact it had only been four, with Sheik—_Zelda_—with _Zelda_ helping him.

One thing did annoy him, however, and that was the fact that she wanted to hear about his adventures fighting Ganon in more detail. He didn't mind, not too much, because although some of the events were painful to recall, like looking into a bright light, he had never actually talked with anyone about them, and, besides that fact, he was able to boost his ego by telling her of his skills with the sword. What annoyed him was how persistent she was. He hated persistent people, because he liked to be more persistent than everyone, and other persistent people put up too much of a challenge.

Tatl was making him talk because she had learned a long time ago from Tael that all people, no matter who they were, had something they needed to talk about. She had seen Link fight—he had a lot in there, she could tell. And, for the sake of her brother, she vowed to get some of it out.

Tael was the one who had taught her to speak. They were twins, and, although she was older by six minutes and thirty-eight seconds, he was the one who had mastered talking first. She had been shy about it, but he taught her, and then they taught each other. Later she became the protective one, but always protecting him had left her with a lot of loneliness, because there hadn't ever been anyone to protect _her_.

When she told Tael this while sitting on a rooftop in Clocktown, he had laughed.

"No one needs to protect you, Tatl—everyone likes to feel protected sometimes, I know—but you're strong, so strong you look after me. What you need is someone to talk to."

"Someone to talk to?" Tatl had repeated.

"Yes," he had said. "Everyone has a story to tell, right? See that guy over there, paying the woman for the tie? He looks miserable, doesn't he?"

Tael nodded his head to a thin looking man buying an expensive looking tie. His clothes were not expensive, but they weren't rags, either. He looked a little pale, as if he didn't get much sunlight. But there was something about the way he walked and talked, that Tatl thought Tael was right.

"Yeah, he looks miserable."

"He's got a story to tell. I watch him all the time. He and his wife fight. She wants him to act rich, but he's just barely making ends meet and he has a hard job. He doesn't care what people think of him—but he hates hiding things and lying. His wife is pregnant too, so they have a lot to worry about, what with a baby coming. He doesn't really want that tie. He just wants a friend. Someone to talk to. Like you."

"Like me," Tatl had agreed, and from that moment on, they had told each other every single little thing, from big secrets to what they thought of things. And Tatl had felt a lot better.

She had learned later that the man had worked things out with his wife, gotten a better job, and had another child on the way.

Link had already told her about getting the Kokiri's Emerald and the Goron's Ruby—telling her about leaving the forest had been a hard thing to do—but now he had reached the part about the Zora's Sapphire, and was having to tell Tatl about Ruto, which didn't please him one bit.

"So, let's get this straight," Tatl said, giggling. "You were ten years old and she'd already decided she wanted to marry you? Is she insane?"

"Yes, yes she is."

"Okaaay...so, you got out and gave her back to her father. What did he say?"

"Are you trying to write a book?"

"I'm trying to kill time."

"They both cried and thanked me, okay?"

"Right. And then what?"

"Did it ever occur to you that I might not want to talk about some of this, that it isn't some stupid story you tell to kids? Did it happen to cross your mind that some of it was hard to go through, and some of it's hard to talk about?"

"Absolutely," Tatl said, without skipping a beat, "But I think that people need to talk—it's something Tael taught me. Not only that, but I wanna know," Tatl added in a whine. Link tried his best not to laugh.

"So you don't respect anyone's personal space?" he asked with a smirk.

"The only personal space I respect is Kylia's."

Silence. Then Link spoke.

"Whatever."

"So what happened next?" Tatl pushed on stubbornly.

Link drew in a deep breath.

"I walked to the Market, told Navi about my dream. You know that dream?"

"The nightmare, you mean."

"Yeah, well, it came true. I finally met Ganondorf...."

---

Kylia and Zelda, though limited quite a bit due to their human bodies, were making quite a bit of progress on their end of the temple, searching for Princess Esmeralda. Zelda was talking animatedly about Link, and Kylia was nodding and listening and commenting and fighting off the monsters that kept taking Zelda by surprise.

"I'm sorry!" Zelda would say when this happened. "I'm just so rusty. I'll pay more attention next time."

The third time this happened, she swore at herself, and, during the next attack, she fended off the Snappers that surprised Kylia.

"Glad to see your feet are still on the ground after all," Kylia said with a smirk.

"What was that supposed to mean?"

Kylia grinned and gave a small salute with two fingers, something she had picked up from Johan.

Then she took off running.

---

Link was back in the swamp room. He looked around for Zelda or Kylia, but they were nowhere to be seen. Unlike before, however, he was on the second level, and he at once saw a reason to break out his bow and arrows.

Standing on the ledge below him was a flaming torch. At the angle Link was at, he could look through the flames and see the mushroom tree in the middle of the room, which had a torch—an unlit torch—in the center of it.

"Ooh, check this out," he said to Tatl. "Watch the expert."

Link took careful aim and fired—he could have hit it at a blind shot but he loved showing off and so he squinted as though it was work. The arrow, of course, flew straight through the flames and into the torch below. Instead of the result being more bragging rights, however, the result was that the mushroom-tree rose up out of the water, and started to spin slowly. As it spun, it seemed to drain the poison from the water, for in a few moments, it was so clear they could see the bottom, which was three feet below the surface and covered in smooth pebbles.

"Wow," Tatl remarked. "You're magic!"

"Yeah, I—what? No I'm not."

"Link, lookit, there's another."

"Oh."

Link leapt onto the spinning mushroom-tree. Off in the corner of the room was another unlit torch. Link had to stand on a rotating platform and soot at a small torch all the was across the large room. To anyone else it would have been impossible.

But he managed it in one shot.

"You're amazing."

"I'm gifted," Link agreed, smirking.

"Right. Anyways, back to the story. You got out of the Sacred Realm and went into the Temple of—shit!"

"The Temple of Shit? That's just wrong."

"No," Tatl cried exasperatedly. "You idiot, look, down there!"

A chest had appeared, floating, in the middle of the room, but it dropped into the water below with a loud splash, soaking Link ad Tatl. They stared at it for a few moments and Link swore.

"I'll go get it," Link said, "and then I'll tell you about the Temple of Shit."

"Temple of _Time_," Tatl corrected him as he dove into the water. "It's the bloody Temple of _Time_."

Link emerged in a minute, sopping wet, and holding a large, shiny key, that didn't fit in any normal lock.

"That one," Link said, nodding his head towards a door on the other side of the room. "The one with two locks. This fits it one of them. But let's wait for Kylia and Zelda to get back."

"And you tell me about the Temple of Time."

Link sighed. This was getting irritating. Why was she insisting on doing this? Just so he could talk? Maybe she wasn't such a ditz after all...but still, she was pushing him awfully hard to remember a lot of things he didn't want to. When he had told Tatl of Navi telling him the story of his parents, he could have sworn she sniffled a little, and after he had finished she apologized for her remark back at the Stock Pot Inn.

"The Temple of Time," Link said dully. "When I got there it was a mess. The windows were broken, and it was dirty. Ganondorf had trashed it. While I was there I met this person named Sheik. Sheik insulted me for a minute, then wanted to see my sword, too see if it was really me."

"And?"

"And I guess I satisfied 'him' because next second, Sheik took me into the place where I had gotten zapped in, and turned into Zelda." Link smiled. "Me and Navi about had heart attacks, both of us. Navi'd been looking for her for four years, and me—well, I was busy gawking at her. Farore herself couldn't be prettier."

"Yeah, okay, lover boy, then what?"

'Then she explained how she had gotten there in the first place...."

Link talked and talked, for about thirty minutes, before Zelda and Kylia showed up. Kylia was holding her arm and wincing.

"Kylia, what happened?" Link asked, alarmed.

Kylia grunted and showed him her arm. It was bleeding badly, and something white and jagged was protruding from it. With horror, Link realized it was the bone of her arm, which was broken and sticking out from the wound like a knife. She had to have been in excruciating pain.

"She's okay, except for the arm," said Zelda. She looked pale. "We were in this room, with a bunch of Snappers, and we cleared them out. Kylia started teasing me, and I started chasing her. Then this huge Snapper turned itself back over and did this sort of war cry thing."

As Zelda talked, she dug through Kylia's pack for some bandages. Link looked at Kylia's broken arm, which hung limply, supported by her good arm. Her knuckles on her good hand were white, fingernails digging into the broken arm.

"It took us by surprise," Zelda continued. "This huge frog jumped on its back and started spinning around the room. It ran right over Kylia's arm, nearly cut it all the way off."

Indeed, as the all looked at the mangled arm, they could see that the ct went all the way to the broken bone, perhaps deeper. Link was in awe of Kylia's tolerance—he himself would have been yelling curses. It looked horrible. Kylia refused to look down at it. She knew as long as she couldn't see it, she would be fine.

"I fixed a shield," Zelda continued. "that stunned it when it hit us, and we got out of there as fast as we—there they are!"

Zelda pulled the bandages out of Kylia's pack, then looked at Kylia's arm.

"I can fix it," Zelda said slowly. "I'll have to put the bones back in—"

Everyone winced.

"—but then I'll just have to wrap it up, I know enough healing magic to have it as good as new in about twenty minutes. Are you okay?"

"No," Kylia rasped, and Link saw her lip was very red where she had bit down on it to keep from screaming.

"You want me to go ahead and do it? I don't have anything to numb it, I'm sorry. We could go back to town, though, if you wanted something...."

"We don't...have a lot of time," Kylia grunted, trying to breathe through her gritted teeth. Speech was made difficult. "Just...go ahead and...do it here."

Zelda nodded, then handed Kylia the pack.

"You can grip that, but I'll need your arm."

Kylia hesitated for a brief second, then let go of her arm and grabbed the pack. She was grinding her teeth, and breathing hard.

"I'm going to push it back in now."

"Wait," Kylia said. "This is going to...sound weird...but take...a picture of it."

Link raised his eyebrows.

"Kylia. It's disgusting. Why the _hell_ do you want a picture?"

"I want to see it...later...when looking at it...won't make me hyperventilate."

"You're crazy."

"Take...the damn...picture."

Still shaking his head, Link pulled out Kylia's pictograph box—they could tell which was which because they had engraved their names on them—and took a picture of her mauled arm.

"You're nuts," he said, unable to take his eyes away from the arm. He put the pictograph box back in the bag.

"I'm ready," she hissed, squeezing her eyes shut.

"All right, brace yourself, I'm going to push them back in. Okay?"

Kylia seemed to hesitate—surely she knew how much something like this would hurt, but she didn't have a choice.

"Go...go ahead," Kylia said, gritting her teeth. She swallowed and kept her eyes closed. A second later she yelled and swore through clenched teeth as the bones were pushed back into place.

"Damn it...damn it...damn it...."

Zelda winced in sympathy and quickly wrapped the bandages around Kylia's arm, trying to make them as tight as possible to lessen the pain. A second later Kylia stopped swearing, even though her teeth were still clenched.

"Just hold still," Zelda said gently. "I'll do the healing magic and in twenty minutes it'll be fine."

She muttered something in Old Hylian, and automatically the pain began to lessen even more, though sharp surges of feeling, like shockwaves, still ran up and down Kylia's arm every few seconds.

"That's the healing process," Zelda explained when Kylia asked her about it. "Since I've stopped being Sheik, I've learned some pretty good healing magic—before, when Link fell off of Death Mountain, I couldn't do anything but speed up the natural process, which took months. It doesn't hurt quite as much, does it?"

"No," Kylia murmured though gritted teeth, "but it makes my arm feel...like rubber. And...prickly. Like it's...going to sleep or something."

"You sure you don't want to go back to Clocktown?"

"Not if it'll be—ouch—fine in twenty minutes."

"I think we oughta go back and _take_ that thing," Link said fiercely, slamming his fist into his palm on the word "take." He scowled. "If it hadn't sneaked up it'd be dead by now. I'm going back there if you guys'll show me the way. Who's coming with me to fight it?"

"I'll go," Zelda volunteered hesitantly. "You might need the shield."

Link opened his mouth to protest—after all, they had had a fight already because he was more concerned for her safety than she was—but she cut him off by raising a hand.

"I solemnly swear I'll leave if we're about to die, okay?"

Link felt like flirting with her, so he did: he laughed and grabbed the hand she had had up in the air.

"Deal," he said with that charming smile of his, purposely _trying_ to make it charming. Zelda loved his smile—every time he grinned she felt like melting.

Tatl pretended to make a gagging noise from the back of her throat.

"Can it," Link said. "You two coming with us?"

"Sure, we'll walk to the door with you," Kylia said easily, but the pain was still evident in her voice. In truth, her arm was killing her. But she was good at masking pain—both emotional and physical. She had been in worse pain of both kinds before this, so she kept her mouth shut, telling herself that in twenty minutes her arm would be working again.

On the way to the room where Kylia had nearly lost her arm, Link showed them the shiny metal key, unlike most of the wooden ones they had found thus far.

"That dammed frog must have the other key," Kylia said. The pain was already starting to fade, even though her arm still felt funny. "You want me to wait for my arm to get better and go in with you or what?"

"Nah, I can handle it," Link said. "You can practice with your arm while you wait on us, or make fun of us behind our backs," he added good-naturedly.

"Or do both at once," Kylia quipped. They arrived at the door and she stopped. "Good luck. Ooh, wait, you've still got the mask, right?"

"No."

"Get it, I saw flowers."

Link found the mask, and then he and Zelda walked through the door.

The minute they did bars fell down behind them—Zelda noted that they hadn't done that before—and then they heard the war cry:

"Hukkit—hukkit—hukkit—haaaaaaah-iiie!"

Link would have laughed if the situation hadn't been so serious. The giant Poison Frog that leapt up onto the back of the massive Snapper sounded and looked ridiculous; it was orange, streaked with purple, but its eyes were purple and yellow. Th Snapper grunted when it felt the impact of the frog jump up on its back, then, with another "Hukkit haaaaaaah-iiie!" from the frog, the Snapper began to spin rapidly in their direction. Zelda threw up the shield, which was nothing more than a barrier of blue light, and the Snapper bounced off.

Link heard the Snapper roar, and the frog give another war cry and a mad laugh—"Ahhahahaaaaaaah-iiie!"—then it came hurtling back. He remembered how Daeken had taught him to fight Snappers and he started to put the mask on. He almost had it to his face when he stopped and called out to Zelda.

"Zelda, keep the shield up until the last second, then move out of the way and yell real loud. Okay?"

Zelda nodded. Link slipped on the mask and dived inside of a flower. He watched from inside the flower as the Snapper drew closer, coming full force, trying to break the shield—and Zelda let the shield down and dodged, yelling—Link waited half a second and dove up out of the flower, coming up right under the Snapper, flipping it over.

"Good one," said Daeken.

_Thanks_, Link thought. "Now to deal with this frog," he added aloud.

The frog had jumped off of the Snapper's back and was now hopping all over the walls and ceiling, making strange sounds as it did so.

"Hukkit—hukkit—hukkit—hukkit—hukkit—haaaaaaah-iiie!"

With a shrill cry it jumped down for Link. He threw his arm up to shield himself, but Zelda had fired her shield in his direction again and the frog bounced off with an angry "Hukkit!"

Link ripped off the mask and drew out his bow and arrows. "Thanks!" he called to Zelda. She let go of the shield and Link struck the frog once—twice—three times with perfect shots from the arrows. It let out one last war cry and fell off the ceiling, then, shrank into a small blue frog, a very normal blue frog, who spat out a shiny metal key and croaked at them loudly.

Zelda picked up the key with a relieved sigh, but Link stared at the frog. Then:

"Duuude. No way."

"What?"

"Zelda, lookit—it's the river frog! Remember?"

During his quest for the Zora's Sapphire, Link had had to journey along Zora's River. There he had met a band of river frogs, who had befriended him. River frogs were magical and had the power to communicate by music.

When Link came back seven years later, all but the white frog—the only one capable of human speech—had fled to somewhere "far away" to escape Hyrule. After that, the white frog had too fled.

"Really?" Zelda asked, walking towards the frog. "Are you?"

The frog croaked.

"I'll test," Link said as the bars rose and Kylia and Tatl walked in the room. He got out his ocarina, and played a melody he hadn't played in awhile—his mother's lullaby. It was the song he had befriended the frogs with, and, if this was the right frog, it would remember.

It did. When Link finished the song the frog croaked loudly and gave a happy jump. Then it leapt up onto Link's shoulder.

Kylia and Tatl both looked lost, until Zelda filled them in.

"It's cute," said Tatl happily. She, unlike Navi, preferred flying rather than riding on someone's shoulder, but she took a seat right next to the blue frog, which gave another happy croak.

"Let's get this straight," Kylia said. "That's the thing that mauled my arm?"

Zelda shrugged.

"Don't even ask. I don't have a clue."

The frog turned sorrowful eyes to Kylia and gave a sad croak. She actually laughed.

"It's okay, frog. My arm feels a little better now anyway."

"Really?" Zelda asked, seeming surprised. "You've still got five more minutes until the bandage comes off."

"I know, but it's stopped hurting. Doesn't even feel prickly."

"Do you want to take it off now?"

Kylia flexed it a few times and winced. "I'll wait until we get back to the door with the locks."

By the time they did get back to the doubly locked door, Kylia was complaining that the bandage was too tight. Zelda unwrapped it slowly, and everyone was shocked to see that Kylia's arm truly was as good as new, including Zelda herself.

"I've never done that before," she explained. "I didn't think it would actually _work_."

"I could kill you!" Kylia said, horror-struck, and everyone laughed.

"The Princess Esmeralda is in here," Daeken said when Link put the mask back on. "If what Tayan said is true, then I think a creature called Odolwa has her. Be prepared for a difficult fight."

Link took the mask off and repeated the message.

"Can you fight?" he asked Kylia.

"Can I ever."

"Good. Now, do you want to come with us or wait here?"

"Excuse me?"

"I'm talking to the frog."

"Oh."

The frog in question hopped off of Link's shoulder and down to the floor, where it gave another loud croak.

"I think that means he wants to stay here," said Tatl, who had fallen in love with the frog and almost wanted to stay with it.

"Okay, then," Link said. "We'll go in there and take care of that thing and get the Deku Princess back." He pretended to be exasperated, rolling his eyes an sighing. "Man alive, I think I might spend my whole life rescuing princesses."

"Keep that mouth closed or you'll be the one who needs rescuing."

By this time Kylia and Tatl were both cracking up, and even the blue frog on the ground looked amused. They had to wait and calm themselves down before Link put the Deku Mask back on and had a short, one-sided conversation with Daeken.

"...the biggest threat is his sword—"

_Which is _not_ better mine,_ Link thought with conviction.

"—but is a good deal bigger. He's supposed to be really big. He has a way with fire as well. Your best bet is to stay human, unless you see a flower."

"Right," Link said out loud, taking the mask back off.

"What?"

"Okay, I'm human for this one. The guy is actually supposed to be dead, but it's the only known monster to haunt the Woodfall Temple," Link said, sounding as though he was quoting a textbook. "All he's got on his side is his size and a _huge_ sword."

"Right," said Tatl. "We'll be right back, frog," she added to the blue frog, "But if we're not you go find our friend Doc who lives in the observatory outside of town, okay?"

The frog croaked. Tatl assumed that meat yes. Since she was a fairy, she could communicate with almost anything, even if she couldn't out and out understand it.

Link pulled out the two keys and undid the locks. Then he pulled the door open.

What met their eyes was indeed a strange sight. There was a female Deku Scrub, undoubtedly the Princess Esmeralda, on top of an orange flower, humming a strange song as loudly as she could. She wore a long set of flowers braided into her hair, and a dress made of giant pink rose petals. Above her was a massive figure that looked almost human, except it had on a type of mask, and the sword it help was almost as tall as it was. It had markings all over its body, and a shield that was just as large as the sword. What was even stranger was that it was twitching and covering its ears, as if it were in pain or fear.

"Oh!" said the princess when she saw them. "Are you here to let me loose?"

"Yeah," Link replied, running over to her and cutting the bonds around her wrists. He hated running toward the massive warrior, but he had no choice. Kylia, Zelda, and Tatl had been left at the door, gaping.

Then Kylia sprang into action.

"Look out!" she yelled, as Odolwa brought his sword crashing down towards Link.

Link yelled, grabbed Esmeralda, and jumped out of the way. Esmeralda was practically shrieking the tune she had been humming, and the massive warrior aimed a blow at her. Link grabbed her and moved away again.

"I have to keep singing it," Esmeralda panted between notes. "He hates it."

Link ran over to Zelda. "You try and cut her loose," he panted. "Use that shield of yours. Me'n Kylia'll take care of this jackass."

"This is bad," Tatl said out the open door. The frog sitting there croaked.

"Will you come in here?" she asked. "I feel pretty useless and pretty scared."

The frog croaked again and hopped inside. The door slammed shut of its own accord and bars came crashing down. Tatl cursed. Then she sat beside the frog to wait.

"I'll get it with my arrows, to distract it," Link called to Kylia. "Then you move in and swing with all you've got!"

"Okay!"

Link made a face at Odolwa.

"Over here, stupid."

Odolwa raised his giant sword in fury, leaving his face unprotected. Two red gleaming eyes glowed out from beneath the mask and Link shuddered. They reminded him of Ganon—lately, everything seemed to. He fought off his panic and cocked his bow. The arrow flew straight and true, hitting the beast in the eye.

Blood went everywhere. It splattered on the shield Zelda had put up, on the walls, and it got on Link's clothes. Link wouldn't have minded—he didn't like blood but he had seen plenty before this—but the blood was solid black. It creeped him out.

Kylia, looking disgusted, went in for the kill, and Link aided her.

"Did you have to shoot it in the eye?" she yelled.

"It was gonna bleed anyway," Link replied. But before they had managed to cut the beast down to size, it got back up, and, with a swing of its massive sword, knocked Link and Kylia back to the corner of the room, where Zelda and Esmeralda were. She let them inside the shield, and they noticed Tatl and the frog sitting by her feet, both looking nervous. Odolwa danced around them, waving his sword and taunting. Then the princess hummed the melody again and it screeched and ran back to the far wall. Looking smug, the princess hummed it again.

This time Odolwa drove his sword into the wall, and rocks came falling down from the ceiling. Zelda, remembering her freeze the last time this had happened, closed her eyes, covered her ears, and concentrated on the shield, until the rocks stopped falling. She opened her eyes and saw Link staring blankly ahead with a dazed look on his face.

"Snap him out of it," Zelda said, absently scratching her right hand. Kylia poked Link hard in the chest.

"Ow! What?"

"You conked out of it for a second there. Stay in the real world, okay?"

"Sorry. You ready to try it again?"

"Yeah."

"Be careful," Esmeralda said urgently.

"What did she say?" Kylia asked Link as they exited the shield.

"To be careful."

Just then, Esmeralda hummed the song again. It seemed to put Odolwa in extreme pain, but every time she hummed it he went nuts. This time Odolwa shot a spell of fire—right at Kylia.

"Oh no you don't!" she snarled. "Not this time!"

She raised her scimitars—Link looked on, baffled; didn't she realize they would melt?—but the fire spell bounced off, crashing into a wall and then back on Odolwa. He caught fire and screamed—in his last breath he raced towards Link and Kylia, and they dived out of the way. He turned, and Link shot his other eye with an arrow. Blood spattered everywhere again, and then, finally, with one last scream, he fell over and was silent. The fire extinguished itself and all that was left was a pile of ashes.

Zelda's shield flickered away and she slowly walked forward. "It's dead?"

"Yeah," Link panted. "It's dead."

Just then the whole room began to shake. The ashes flew upward and began to spin around, as if they were in a whirlwind. The whole room glowed blue, and then everything stopped. Lying where the ashes had been was a mask—the same mask Odolwa had been wearing.

"I'm not touching it," Link said at once.

"It won't hurt you," Esmeralda assured him softly, and Tatl hissed translations. "Not anymore."

She walked towards it slowly, and picked it up.

This seemed to trigger some sort of reaction—immediately, they felt the floor beneath their feet go from wood to stone, and the room filled with mist. The fog was thick, very thick, so that for a moment they couldn't see. Then it began to clear—but Link knew they were no longer in Woodfall Temple. The fog stretched as far as the eye could see. They seemed to be on a stone pillar, in the middle of a foggy cloud. Everything was a different shade of white. Four massive columns of fog were placed around the pillar, and they seemed to be pouring down from some place above, but when Link looked up, all he could see was more fog. The entire place was massive, huge, bigger than life or comprehension.

Then they heard some sort of cry. Tatl closed her eyes and shuddered as it ran through her.

"Did you hear that?" she whispered into the silence. Everyone nodded.

Then something dark emerged from the fog. It stood away from them, but they could see how massive it was. They couldn't see it, but everyone knew without shadow of a doubt that, whatever it was, it was beautiful, in its own way, and gentle, but powerful.

"Can you...understand it?" Link asked her. He knew just as well as she did that fairies could communicate with every living creature—Navi had once helped him have a conversation with Epona, and he hadn't doubted that since.

"I'll try." Tatl closed her eyes, willing it to call out again. But it didn't.

But after a moment, Esmeralda hummed the song that she had been humming in the room with Odolwa.

The creature responded. It sang the song back to her. Its cries were mournful, slow, but, in an odd sense, breathtaking. No one could move, only listen to the song it sang.

"Play it, Link," Zelda said softly. "The Ocarina of Time is magical. Play that song, see what happens."

Slowly, Link fumbled in his pockets, not daring to take his eyes off of the creature before him. He felt the smooth surface of the Ocarina of Time, and put it to his lips. He waited until the creature sang the song again, and then played it back. As he played it the creature sang with him, producing a perfect two part harmony. The frog on the ground watched, eyes wide, as this creature used music to communicate—the same way he did.

The creature cried out again, with no particular tune, and Tatl closed her eyes once more.

"'Thank...thank you,'" she whispered. "It's...thanking us. For what?" she called. "What are you thanking us for?"

The creature cried out again and everyone held their breath.

"'You removed the mask from my face, and the curse from my body. Now, I am free. Odolwa can't harm my people again.' You mean, that was you? You were Odolwa?"

Zelda found Link's hand and squeezed it, hard.

"'Yes. I was imprisoned inside that body, the same way that you were, Hero.' Link, it means you! Just like when Maclar turned you into a Deku, and you couldn't be a human again!"

Link swallowed. "I know how you feel," he murmured.

"Shut up, it's talking again...'I was trapped. I could not do anything of my own free will.'"

"I can sympathize," Kylia whispered.

"How did the mask get on you?" Tatl called. She paused a minute as the creature cried again. "'He...forced it onto my face.'"

Zelda's breath caught in her throat.

"Who did?"

The creature moved a little closer, and they could see a little more of its shape. It called out again, in that mournful voice.

"'Call...us.' Call us? What does that mean? Who put that mask on you?"

The creature began to back away, crying out. Tatl held her breath.

"'You will see me again. Thank you.' Wait! Wait a second!"

But the mist began to grow thicker, so thick that they couldn't see themselves or each other, and then, all at once, it cleared, leaving them back in the room where they had defeated Odolwa.

"Wow," said Zelda. She, like everyone else, was shaking. "What _was_ that?"

"The Great Deku King," Esmeralda answered promptly. "I thought the legends weren't true, but...."

She realized from the bewildered looks on their faces that they had no idea what she was talking about.

"Sorry, I'll explain," she said. "But...first, please, tell me who you are."

"I'm Link," said Link. "This is Zelda, Kylia, and Tatl."

"I'm Princess Esmeralda Mary of the Deku Scrubs," she said with a curtsy. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for rescuing me."

"We'll have to explain about that," said Kylia. "But first, tell us who the Great Deku King is."

So they swapped stories. Esmeralda told them of the legends of the Great Deku King and Odolwa, and they told her of their adventures in Termina, save for the time traveling. They even told her about Daeken, and Zelda noticed with a pang that when they did, her eyes swam with tears.

"How awful for him to die that way," she said.

"He isn't dead," Link said, "Not really. Just inside of the mask until we can get him out. Here, look—"

Link got out the mask from Kylia's pack. Almost as if Daeken had been waiting for him to do so, the mask shuddered, and Daeken's form appeared where it had been.

"Hello, Princess," he said quietly when he saw Esmeralda. "I'm glad you're safe. Their story is true—this must surely prove it."

"I told you to call me Esmeralda," she choked, then flung her arms around him. "I'm really sorry about what's happened—we should have let you come with us to this place."

"Don't worry about it, Esmeralda," he said warmly, saying her name as though it was a title. "As long as you're okay."

Daeken turned around to look at Link.

"I'm getting...really tired. I can't do this for much longer. We have to hurry and get back to Tayan."

"That's right!" Link exclaimed, hitting his head. "We gotta go before they kill him. It's almost dawn!"

Daeken shuddered, and then, with a swishing noise, turned back into a mask, which Esmeralda caught before it hit the floor. Zelda remembered what Tayan had told her about Esmeralda and Daeken, and she felt another pang of sadness for them.

"Here you are," Esmeralda said to Kylia, handing her the mask. "We have to hurry and get back to my father, before he does something...rash."

Ten minutes later, they were on the way back to Deku Palace. It was night, but dawn was peeking just over the edge of the horizon. Esmeralda and Link were traveling by hopping the water and flying with flowers, and everyone else was walking, as they had done before. They were moving fast, as fast as they could go, trying to beat the rising sun.

"There's the palace!" Esmeralda shouted just as the sun rose. "It's dawn! We must hurry! Come, quickly!"

They rushed inside, and streaked past the guards. They knocked over several people ion the process of trying to get to the throne room. The palace was so packed they could barely move. Tatl flew ahead of them. She saw with horror that Tayan had been tied up over a smoking pot of foul smelling liquid, that looked a lot like poison swamp water.

"It is dawn," The Deku King announced. "Lower him into the water."

Tayan had a stoic look on his face, as if he had set himself up for pain. Tatl knew by taking one look at him, that no matter how horrible the pain was, he would not cry out. He gave no struggle as the ropes started lowering him into the bubbling water, but Tatl saw fear flash in his eyes.

"Link, c'mon!" she muttered, with a frightened glance back at the doorway. She looked back at Tayan, eyes wide. "No!"

"You stop that this minute!" shrieked Esmeralda from the doorway, and Tayan stopped, just six inches from the bubbling water. Esmeralda rushed to the ropes and pulled him back up, and then untied him. He was shaking, but trying desperately not to show it.

"Father!" Esmeralda spat. "What were you going to do?"

Complete silence reigned.

"I know what you were about to do," she said, with a wave of her hand. She was trembling with fury. "Let me tell you something. This monkey, whom you were about to kill, has saved my life!"

"I'm sorry," the Deku King said, stunned. "So very sorry. I thought...you had died! Esmeralda!"

Esmeralda looked at her father for a brief moment, then her eyes filled with tears and she ran over to him, throwing her arms around his neck.

"I know, Father," she whispered. "You just mustn't be so rash anymore. I was okay. These fine people, and Tayan, saved me. Odolwa had me. They all saved my life."

The Deku King looked upon Link, Zelda, Kylia, and Tatl with amazement. All was quiet.

"Thank you," he said at last. "I'm sorry to have—caused so much trouble. Tayan," he said to Tayan, addressing him by name to show his humbleness, "Tayan, I apologize. Thank you for helping her."

"It's all right," Tayan assured him. "I had to help her—she's my friend."

"Anything," the Deku King said. "You may have anything I can give you, as my thanks and apology. Including you, Esmeralda, for I was just as unfair to you as I was to them. None of the rules apply. Anything."

"We don't want anything," Link said, speaking for himself, Zelda, and Kylia. "We're fine."

"Speak for yourself," Tatl cried. "Listen—we're never allowed in the forests. Everyone thinks we're bad luck. Me and my brother, that is. But we're not bad luck! Please, next time it's raining and cold, or the next time we're about to starve to death, can we stay here?"

"Of course," said the Deku King at once. "All of you may come to this palace anytime you like."

"Thanks," said Tatl. "So much."

Esmeralda leaned over and whispered something in her father's ear. He looked stunned for a moment, but then he nodded. "Very well. Agreed. Thank you, friends, for restoring my daughter to me. Please, stay here, join our celebration."

"We can't," Zelda said. "We'd love to, but we have something to take care of."

"Very well," said the Deku King. "Please come again soon."

"We will," Zelda promised, and the crowd parted to let her, Link, Kylia, and Tatl exit the palace.

Tayan, meanwhile, was being strangled by Esmeralda. He laughed and pulled her off.

"You came in the nick of time," he said. "I must go thank Link before he departs, but—first, tell me something. What did you ask of your father?"

Esmeralda beamed.

"I asked him to abolish the aristocracy law. I asked him to make it so that anyone, no matter what class, could court with and marry whom they pleased. That includes royalty."

Tayan smiled. "I might have known." Then, before he could stop himself, he added, "I'm sure that you and Daeken will have many happy years ahead of you."

She gasped and glared at him, hands on her hips, looking outraged. He just smiled and ran off to find Link, calling, "See you later, Princess!" over his shoulder. He didn't see it, but after he had gone, she laughed and wiped her eyes. Then she turned back to her father, who had overheard their conversation, and began to tell him the whole story.

"Link!" Tayan cried when he got to the door of the palace. Zelda, Kylia, Tatl, and the frog had already gotten on the boat, but before Link had, Tayan called out to stop him. They saw now that the water in the swamp had been cleaned, and the scenery was beautiful—Zelda had already started taking pictographs of it.

"Hey!" Link said, as Tayan screeched to a halt. "You okay?"

"Yes, I am now," he said. "I wanted to thank you, all of you. You saved me from a terrible fate."

"It was only common decency," Link said. "We couldn't let you die for the things Maclar had done."

Tayan beamed. "I'm going back to see my family now. Ninym and Ella—that's our sister—will be worried about me. I'll see you again, I hope?"

"You bet," Link answered.

"Well then, farewell! Thank you again!" Tayan called, as he ran for the trees. "I won't forget you, friends!"

And then he was gone into the distance, going back home. Tatl sighed as Link got on the boat and the cruiser began to move.

"I feel really weird," she commented. "Like I just read a good book or something."

Link raised his eyebrows at her. "It's what happens when you do the right thing. So, guys, we have a whole day before we have to go back in time again. Whatcha wanna do?"

"Let's go see Doc!" Tatl said. "Maybe he can take of Froggy for us. No offense," she added to the frog, "But we don't want you to get hurt or anything."

The frog croaked at her, in a way that she understood to mean it was quite all right. Then he croaked again, a sad croak, and she made a sympathetic noise.

"What?" Zelda asked. By this time, the boat had come back to the station, and was slowing to a halt. They got off of it and began walking towards Termina Field.

"He misses his friends," Tatl said sadly. "When they ran away from Hyrule they got separated, and haven't seen each other since."

"That's so sad," Kylia said. "We'll look for your friends while we travel, if you want."

The frog gave a happy croak and leapt from Zelda's shoulder to Kylia's. They all laughed at the startled look on Kylia's face.

Fifteen minutes later they were enjoying breakfast at Doc's observatory. He had already eaten, and was looking closely at the frog rather than at his eggs.

"Sure, I'll take him," Doc said. "I got an old fish tank round here somewhere. I'll set him up in that. Okay with you, Froggy?"

The frog croaked happily.

"He doesn't mind at all," Tatl said. "As long as it isn't too small."

"Oh, it's huge, you'll love it." Doc went downstairs, and started rummaging around. They heard him swear—"Goddammit!"—and then he dragged a huge glass tank up the stairs. It was at least as long as two human beings laying down, and about shoulder high. It held dirt and grass and plenty of rocks, and one rock big enough so that it reached out of the tank.

"I'll fill this up with water later," Doc said. "So tell me what you've been doing, kids. A lonely old man doesn't have anything better to do than listen."

They told him all about their adventures in the swamp, leaving nothing out. The sun rose in the sky, and noon came. The ate lunch and continued telling Doc about what they had been doing, while he filled up the tank with water. The frog croaked in delight and hopped in, splashing everyone.

After lunch, the children came, and they were fascinated by the frog, because it was blue. They said they had seen another odd colored frog in Clocktown, but hadn't thought anything of it. Link vowed to look the next time he went. They gave their pictograph boxes to Doc, who said that he could develop the pictures for them.

After lunch, everyone, since they had been up all night, took a long nap. At dark, Doc woke them up, and they gathered in the telescope room. They said goodbye to Doc and the frog, promising to come back after they had warped back through time.

Then Zelda played the Song of Time, and in a whirlwind of light and color, everything went backwards once more.

**AN:** Dude, that Poison Frog was sooo wrong. I haven't beat MM yet, so upon fighting it for the first time, I was completely like, wtf! Err, anyways, I hope you enjoyed this very long chapter.

Also, there was so much foreshadowing here it ain't funny. I hope you caught onto some of it, at least. Eh well. Review responses, then I'ma hafta go.

**aqua seafoam shame:** Spoken like a true ZeLinker n.n (I don't care if you're not a ZeLinker, it sounds good.)  
**Hikari:** Goopy, sugar-like stuff? I should feel insulted, but I don't. Eh well.  
**serenitythefaierikin:** Everybody loves Boes! There will be more in the next chappie, promise. XD Btw, not to sound rude, but you talked abut high school like you were already out of it, (you lucky thing you) how old are you?  
**ooka-chan:** Haha, so is my brother.  
**Greki:** Aww, thankies! n.n

Guys, pretty please review me! I'll go faster if you do, promise! Thanks again and bye! (Ooooh, and if you saw any foreshadowing, go ahead and mention it. Along with theories and stuff. Lol, spoiling privileges, I think Blowfish called it.)


	20. Chapter Nineteen: Never Be Imprisoned Ag

**Author's Notes: **Mmm, yay, mystery in this chapter! Prepared to be cliffhanged! Read and enjoy, and please leave me a review! I'm getting less and less of those ;-;

Chapter Nineteen: Never Be Imprisoned Again

They landed hard in the Clock Tower. For a moment, all was quiet, but then Kylia spoke.

"It's still dark. Damn, I can't see a thing."

"Let's go outside," Link grunted. They did, and could see by the starlight, and the faint tip of sunlight peeking over the horizon.

"Go back to the swamp."

"What did you say?" Link asked Zelda with a yawn, scratching his right hand.

"I didn't say anything," Zelda replied.

"Oh."

"C'mon, let's go back to Doc's place, I want to see the pictographs!" Tatl said.

They walked to East Clocktown, gave the code to the half-asleep little boy at the alleyway, and started walking down the passageway to Doc's house, arriving a little after dawn. They nearly ran into a boy wearing a red cap on their way in, while he was on his way out.

"Doc, it's us," Zelda called. She and Kylia raced up the stairs. Link Tatl, both feeling tired, walked.

"Go to the swamp."

"What?" Link asked Tatl. She shrugged.

"Don't get so testy."

"I'm not testy," Link grumbled. "I just wanted to know what you said."

Tatl didn't hear him. She had flown over to the frog, who was sleeping. "Hi, frog," she whispered, then flew back over to Doc. "Hey, can we see the pictographs? Are they done?"

"Sure are," said Doc. "Got 'em right here."

"Cool," said Link, as Doc handed him a folder full of pictures. They all sat down at the table to look. To their surprise, the pictographs were in color. It was almost like looking at the real thing.

There was Kylia, her back turned. She looked angry. Link remembered taking that picture, trying to cheer her up. They flipped to the next one—there was Kylia, giggling. Another flip—there was Link making a face at the camera, with Zelda behind him, laughing. Again—they saw Link and Zelda getting a quick kiss on the lips.

"You took that!" Zelda said to Kylia, trying and failing to be angry. Kylia smirked.

They turned again—there was Link holding up the Deku Mask. Again—there was the Deku Palace. Another flip—there was a picture of Woodfall Temple, after the water had been cleaned. Another one—there was Kylia's mauled arm.

Doc whistled. "That's a shiner if I ever saw one. Who's arm is it?"

"Mine," said Kylia, looking at the picture with fascination. "Wow, he almost chopped the whole thing off."

"Good thing he didn't, I can't replace lost limbs," Zelda said.

They had a lot of fun looking at the rest of the pictures. In one, Tatl had flown unknowingly in front of Link's hand, and in the next, he had trapped her in his hat and he was flipping off the camera anyway.

"Well, no hat," said Doc, chuckling. "I didn't know if you ever took it off."

Link stuck his tongue out at him.

"The boxes are as good as new," Doc said. "Bring back more pictures and I'll develop them for you."

"Thanks," Tatl said happily.

"Go to the swamp!"

"All right, who's talking to me?" Link demanded suddenly, standing up. "Who just said something about the swamp?"

"No one," said Zelda, mystified.

"Yes they did," Link said insistently. "Someone just told me to go to the swamp."

"So go, and be done with it!"

Link stared. He had heard that—but no one moved their mouths. He walked over to a chair and sank into it, not noticing how his right hand was itching and glowing.

"This settles it, I've finally cracked. It was nice knowing you guys."

"Bet it's the same voice that keeps annoying you," Zelda said. "You haven't cracked. C'mon, we'll go then, so far that voice hasn't given us bad advice."

So they said a sad goodbye to the frog and to Doc, and began walking towards the swamp. In the early morning light there wasn't a lot to see—almost nothing had woken up yet. They walked, chatting happily, and almost forgetting about the strange voice in Link's head. That was, until it spoke again.

"Stop."

Link halted in his tracks, shook his head, and began walking again.

_I'm not crazy,_ he thought firmly, _not yet, anyways. I do not hear weird voices in my head, and I am not stopping for anything. Hell, I shouldn't even be going to the swamp! I don't care if it happens again, I'm not listening! That voice is _not_ real!_

Satisfied, he straightened his hat and made a joke at Zelda. But he heard it again, accompanied by a powerful itching sensation on his right hand.

"_Stop._"

Link scratched his hand furiously and kept walking, keeping his eyes on the ground. Noticing his sudden quiet, Zelda asked him, "Link, are you okay?"

"Fine," he replied.

"You're not making my job any easier, young man. When I said 'stop,' I meant '_stop!_'"

With a pained expression on his face Link stopped.

"I know," Zelda said before he could explain, "My hand itches too. What does it want?"

"For me to stop," Link said dully. He explained to Tatl and Kylia what was going on and to his relief they didn't make any wisecracks. They stood there for two minutes, then Link, as though he was acting on invisible orders, turned to the right and began to walk.

"Uh, is he crazy?" Tatl whispered to Kylia. She was silenced with a glare. They walked quietly for a few minutes, Tatl feeling properly ashamed of herself.

"Weirder things have happened to all of us," Kylia said at last. "I think someone really is talking to him. Don't make him feel worse about it."

They walked to the right, following Link. Tatl recognized where they were going.

"This is the way to the ranch," she said.

Link felt a pang of unexpected sadness. He missed Lon Lon Ranch, and Malon, and...Epona. He missed everything about the ranch. The grass, the horses, even the way the horses smelled. He missed the cows, he missed the cuccos, he even missed the damn cat that kept rubbing his ankles.

He just missed home.

He wanted to see Johan again, tell him about being a Deku Scrub. He wanted to hear about another of his dad's crazy adventures as a kid. He wanted to watch Kylia and Ani try and top each other with insults. He wanted Little Link to steal his hat and try it on, and he wanted to watch Darunia laugh about it, love for his son in his eyes. He wanted to go to the forest, his forest, his home, to the Sacred Forest Meadow, and spend the whole day talking to Saria and Navi....

A sudden depression stole over him, one that he couldn't shake. He missed home. He missed it so bad it was like his chest was actually hurting and he realized with a start that it _was_ actually hurting. He couldn't shake the feeling that home was where he needed to be right then, not Termina. Oh, sure, it was a nice enough place, real good for visiting, but not as a place to stay away from home forever. No.

He walked the rest of the path in silence, not speaking, until they came to a large rock.

"_Now_ go to the swamp."

"Nice rock," Link said, scratching his hand and ignoring the voice. He turned back to go to the swamp, like it had been his idea.

While they walked to the swamp, Tatl and Kylia and Zelda chatted merrily. Link was brooding, and he only commented enough to keep them happy. He was mostly thinking of how much he missed home. Johan, Navi, Saria, and Malon were all in Hyrule, along with everything else he loved. And he hated it.

He glanced over at Zelda's smiling face, and watched her laugh at something Tatl said.

_Thank Farore she's here,_ Link thought. _I couldn't stand being away from her too._

On a sudden impulse, he reached out and took her hand, squeezing it gently. She grinned at him, a small smile on her face the whole time she talked. Link decided what he liked most about her was her eyes. Or maybe her hair. He couldn't decide.

Well, one good thing had come out of all of it. They had been forced to admit they were crazy over each other. Link smiled. At least that much had happened. They were at least here together, and they had finally kissed for real. For the first and last time, three days ago, in a sense.

Link decided that was too long.

"You look blue," he said suddenly to Zelda, cutting through the conversation. "You need to be cheered up."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Actually, you look bluer than I do," she said.

"So cheer _me_ up," Link said, grinning, and with that, he pulled her to him, and preformed something he had seen someone do in the Market once—he dipped her over his arm and kissed her. It lasted for almost three minutes, at which time Kylia took another pictograph and Tatl gagged. Link didn't even find himself caring. His depression, it seemed, had given him an almost unwanted recklessness. Almost.

"Feeling better?" Zelda asked, slightly stunned by his sudden movements, but happy about them all the same.

"Yeah. You're not mad at me, are you?" he asked, kissing her cheek affectionately.

"Nah."

Kylia and Tatl snickered. Link and Zelda stuck their tongues out at them.

"Hey," Zelda said slowly, as if the thought was only just occurring to her, "Kylia, you didn't take another picture of us, did you?"

Kylia coughed, in a way that sounded oddly like laughing. "Would I do a thing like that?"

Zelda opened her mouth to reply but Kylia cut her off.

"Well—look, here we are!"

"Oh my—"

The swamp was not what they expected. They expected to find it poisoned, like it had been before. They had expected that time would turn itself back. They had expected anything but what they saw.

"This is bad," Zelda said. "Really bad."

"Let's go find Tayan," Kylia said.

So they walked along the tree roots—Link hopped on lily pads—all the way to the Potion Shop, and, luckily for them, didn't see anyone on a broomstick. They were at the entrance of the woods when they saw a white figure walking among the trees. A monkey!

"Tayan!" Link shouted, walking forward a few paces. He grabbed the monkey by the arm playfully, but it turned and gave a frightened yelp, stepping on his toes. Link realized that this monkey was not Tayan—it wasn't even male. It was a female monkey—a very angry female monkey.

"What's the big idea?" the monkey asked, baring her teeth. "Ya got a thing for walking up and scaring folks senseless?"

"No, sorry, I thought you were—"

"I know who y'thought I was, mister," the monkey drawled, scowling. "What do y'want with my brother, eh?"

"Tayan's your brother?" Kylia asked, stepping up behind Link, Zelda and Tatl right behind her. The monkey jumped again. "Then you must be Ella!"

"Jeez! Sure, he's my brother, and he's at our village. And of course I'm Ella—what's it to ya?" Ella studied Link and then grinned. "You're Link," she said to him, sounding sure of herself.

"What gave me away?" Link asked, not used to being introduced to himself.

"The green did, mate. Tayan told me Link was dressed in all green, right down to the cap. The Gerudo is Kylia," she added, grinning fiercely again, "and the blonde is Princess Zelda. You, fairy, you're Tatl."

"Bet you think you're something special," Tatl muttered sourly. She hated being called "fairy" with a passion.

"Whassamatter, don' like my jokes?" Ella asked with a grin. "I haven't got much tastes for yours either, t'be blunt. I don' much fancy having heart attacks every second of the day."

Tatl laughed and decided right away that she liked Ella. She was tomboyish, and smart. Not to mention tough. If some guy twice _her_ size had snuck up on her with a sword like Link's, she would have died from the fright, but Ella had, for the most part, remained calm. Up close they could see minor differences in Ella from Tayan, just as there were differences in Tayan and Ninym. Her fur was white, and, like her brothers, she had a yellowish tint around her wrists and ankles, but it spread further up her arms and legs that her brothers' did. Where Ninym and Tayan were almost identical, she was different enough so that they could distinguish who was who.

"You want to come to the village?" Ella asked them. "Whole place is in a right hullabaloo, t'be blunt."

"Why?" Zelda asked, as Ella began to lead them through the trees.

"Well, yesterday Tayan came home, of course. Big surprise actually, we thought the Dekus had him. He told us what had happened and that's how I knew your names. We celebrated till dark, but round that time we were getting antsy. Saw the moon and knew it was going to fall soon, y'know? But we decided to go down partying. So we stayed outside and had a right good time, till the wind came up. Knocked everything over and when we got back up the moon was up in the sky, the party was gone, and everything looked like it did just after Tayan got taken, except the swamp water was still clean and Tayan was standing there with us. No idea what happened, but we're thankful it did or we'd all be dead by now."

"I know what happened," Link muttered. "I think."

"Oh? You'd be inclined to tell us, then?" Ella asked, quite curiously.

"When we get there. I wanna talk to Tayan first."

"Fine, keep walking then. It's a fair distance."

They walked through the woods until the steam reached them. It wasn't a lot of steam, but it was enough that they noticed it. After the steam was the smell of baking—good baking. And after the smell they heard the noise—someone was having a very loud party.

They saw small huts, built of straw and wood. Some trees had been hollowed out near the bottom, with extra rooms added on the sides, and some trees had extra rooms going up the tree. Some trees had huts built in the branches.

One very large tree in the center of the small clearing was a mixture of all the types—this tree was hollowed out, and it had extra rooms added on the side, slowly going up the tree, so that it looked triangular. There was a great deal of activity going on there—everyone had brought food and they were all talking and Link saw Deku Scrubs, male and female, all sizes, and monkeys of all colors—white, black, brown, gray, and even mixtures of two or more colors. He saw a several Black Boes, and even a few fairies. To his surprise, there were also skull kids, dancing around a fire, just like the ones in Hyrule did.

Link remembered Tayan telling him about his village; Tayan had said they got all sorts, but he was still surprised at the diversity among the people there.

Ella elbowed her way through the crowd bravely, not even faltering when someone knocked her over. They located Tayan standing outside the huge tree, drinking a glass of something green and talking happily to Ninym.

"Tayan!" Ella called. "These guys—ouch—want to explain what's been happening round here."

Tayan looked over at Ella, then he saw Link, Zelda, Kylia, and Tatl, and his face lit up with a smile.

"Hello!" he called over the noise, raising his glass. "Want some juice?"

"No, thanks—come out here, we want to talk to you!"

Link fought his way out of the crowd, getting hit by two fairies and one Deku Scrub. Tayan and Ella followed him, but Kylia, Zelda, and Tatl stayed behind with Ninym, talking and drinking green juice.

"It's a miracle," Tayan said happily. "The moon went back up in the sky, and we have three more days of time! Not only that, but I've been freed, as well, so I can enjoy it this time around. Have you seen the swamp?"

"Yeah," Link said, and he now realized why he was supposed to come here—to explain things, and to realize that the swamp had somehow gotten sucked into the time traveling cycle. He explained about how he and Zelda had worked the Ocarina of Time so that it could send them back three days, and, how the skull kid had forced a lot of people to be sucked into the cycle with them.

"Can't figure out why you guys would be, though," Link said, scratching his head. "I mean—I'm glad you are, but you would have had to see me and Zelda and Kylia and Tatl as we went back. It's pretty unlikely that all of you saw it."

"We could ask Esmeralda," Tayan suggested. "All of the Dekus from the palace, and all of the people from the surrounding villages, are here with us. By the way, should we share this information or is this little miracle supposed to be a secret?"

"Tell ten people each, and tell them to do the same," Link said, grinning. "It'll get around quick enough."

"Ten?" Ella asked with disbelief. "Oh is _that_ all? Disappointment, really. I'll have twenty before y'blink an eyelash, mate!"

And off she went. Link stared after her, but Tayan chuckled affectionately.

"That's my Ella. The littlest and the biggest."

"Eh?"

"She's younger then both Ninym and I, but she's got twice the spunk of the two of us put together. Ninym told me they had to keep her locked up to stop her coming after me." Tayan chuckled again. "She's a wild one, that's for sure."

Link shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe they almost tortured you to death and you're acting like it's a big joke. I don't recall you finding it too funny at the time."

"To quote my dear sister," Tayan said, taking a swig of juice and putting on a accent like Ella's, "'Time's a-wastin' while you're busy thinking, and while you're skulkin' round thinking about every little bad thing that's been happ'nen you're missing all the good things that're happ'nen now, and besides that you're making my head hurt somethin' awful.'"

Link laughed. "I haven't known her but five minutes—but that sounds just like her."

"C'mon, let's go find Esmeralda!"

Link and Tayan elbowed their way through the crowd to find Esmeralda. When they finally did find her, they had to shout to make her understand that they wanted to ask her something. She scowled at Tayan as they walked back to the less crowded place among the trees.

"What's with you?" Link asked her.

"Mr. Tayan here said dishonorable things to me, if you must know, Link."

"'Mr. Tayan'? Ouch, man, she's _really_ ticked."

Tayan laughed. "It's only because she told her father to abolish the aristocracy law, and I knew it was so she could court with Dae—"

"I'll tank you kindly to close your mouth, Mr. Tayan," Esmeralda said menacingly, eyes flashing. "Now what did you want to ask me?"

They explained, in brief terms, about the time travel, and the skull kid's curse.

"The Deku King must've done it," Esmeralda said promptly. "He must've seen it happen, and used his magic so that all of us would be under the spell."

"I still gotta wonder about that guy," Link said, shaking his head. "I mean, it's just weird. I couldn't see it but it didn't look like a Deku to me."

"But it was," said Esmeralda.

"What was that song you were humming?"

"It's called the Oath to Order. It's an old chant that the Ikana tribe used, many years ago. Everyone knows it—they say it has magical power against the evil and undead. It's the song they all hummed when the Great Deku King finally killed Odolwa the first time around. It must've been why he hated it to. Besides, what better way to get revenge than to posses the Great Deku King's body?"

"I dunno, seems dodgy to me. Neither of them have a body—in case you forgot, they're both _dead_! Besides that, someone had to put Odolwa's face on the Great Deku King. And,. At this rate, we might never know wh—ow!"

Tatl had just beamed Link on the side of the head, cutting off his sentence. Her light had a green tint and she was hiccupping and giggling madly.

"Hi," she giggled. "Guess what I—_hic_—did. Guess!"

"Drank too much juice?" asked Tayan, working hard to conceal a smile. The juice could be consumed by the gallon by a monkey or a Deku Scrub or even by a human, but to a fairy, one glass would get them "silly" for an hour at least. It gave one a fit of the giggles, and made them giddy beyond reason. It was better in alcohol in the sense that it was much cheaper—and it wore off very quickly. To other creatures, it simply relaxed them, but to a fairy—well, the results were evident.

"I only had three glasses," Tatl giggled.

Esmeralda's eyes widened. "Three? But you're a fairy! They can't take _one_!"

"This one can," giggled Tatl. Then she fainted, dropping like a bug down into Link's outstretched palm. She hiccupped once, then stopped moving, except for deep, slow, breathing.

"Let me try some of that," Link demanded. He took a huge gulp out of the glass Tayan handed him. Nothing happened.

"What gives? I'd give anything to be that giggly."

Tayan laughed. "It's just that strong for fairies, sorry. I've probably had a gallon at least, and the bigger the creature, the less strong it is."

Link sighed. "We'd better get Little Miss I-only-had-three-glasses outta here. I'll see you guys later okay?"

"All right!" Esmeralda called merrily, drinking some of the strange green juice. "Goodbye!"

Link elbowed his way through the crowd again and found Zelda and Kylia, who both took pictures of Tatl and laughed about her state. Before they left, they took several pictures of their new friends—the Deku King and Esmeralda, Tayan, Ninym, and Ella, and the skull kids dancing around the fire. They also ran into Daeken's father, though no one but Link recognized him. He spoke politely to them, and Link had to explain what happened, because, as it turned out, he hadn't heard yet. He let Daeken out of the mask for another few seconds and took a quick picture—it never lasted long—then they said goodbye to the mournful looking Deku, said goodbye to Esmeralda, said goodbye to Tayan, said goodbye to Esmeralda again, said goodbye to Ella, and then told Esmeralda that they really couldn't stay and that they had to go.

"If you insist," she pouted.

When they at last broke free of the party they were all worn out—and it wasn't even lunch time. They decided to take Tatl back to the observatory and figure out a course of action from there.

They passed the Potion Shop on their way back out, of course, and everyone avoided looking at it, except, oddly enough, Kylia. She slowed down to look at the building. Link and Zelda didn't realize she had slowed and they kept walking and talking. Their voices faded into the background. Inside her head Kylia could her the sound of sword on sword—the sounds she had made when trying to kill Tara and Link. But that faded out quickly, unlike it did in her nightmares. She heard her own voice then, and she moved her lips along with the words, though the only sound was inside her mind.

"_Now that I'm free, I'll never be imprisoned again."_

She remembered refusing to ride a broomstick, and Kotake giving in and letting her walk instead, without a hassle.

Kylia jumped as a face appeared in the window. Red jewel on the forehead.

Koume.

Kylia made a rude gesture with her hand and Koume shouted something that she couldn't hear into the house. Scowling, Kylia turned away, but before she walked off, she looked back. She didn't know why. She just did.

There was still a face in the window, but this time she could see that the jewel on the forehead of the old woman was a light blue—Kotake.

"_We're both sorry, she's just too stubborn to say it."_

The ice sister looked down at Kylia, and Kylia stared back up at her without a trace of emotion on her face. Then, shocking both Kotake and herself, she felt her face move itself into a small smile. Amazed, she watched her arm lift itself up as if of its own accord and wave to the woman in the window. Then, stumped, she turned and walked away before she could see the genuine grin that Kotake wore on her face.

The thought hit both the fierce Gerudo warrior and the old hag at the same time, and brought a smile to both faces.

Kotake, at least, had been forgiven.

---

Darmani the Great. Wise, strong, and a good racer. Powerful yet gentle, loving in every way. Leader of the Gorons tribe of Kenokeré Mountain Range.

Trapped.

There was nothing for the dying Goron to do but think—think, and remember....

_Ever since the imp with the mask came to their mountains, trouble had been everywhere. First, the springs had dried away, as if in drought. Then the trees had all lost their leaves, and shriveled up. Then the snow came. Hard, fast, thicker, thicker even than in normal winters. It seemed as if spring had been pushed aside by summer, which in turn had been moved to make way for autumn, and autumn never lasted long in the Kenokeré Mountains._

_Now, as the Goron leader, it was up to him to journey up to Snowhead—a place only accessible when the snow covered the ground so thickly one could use it as a boost to get up the smooth cliff—it was up to him to journey to Snowhead, to find out what had gone wrong. The seasons of the world rested there. The Goron people had been put there to protect it, but lately they hadn't paid it much attention, and the snow was falling thick and fast in the middle of April._

_Something had to be done._

_Sharp gusts of wind blew at his tough skin as he made his way up the narrow ledge that led to the temple entrance. His feet, huge and strong, slipped and skittered on the foreboding ice, leaving scratches where he had walked. The ice was fragile, breaking as he moved, slippery, making his steps impossible. The snow blanketed one of the slickest patches of ice, making it impossible to see until it was too late._

_He would have been able to keep his balance under normal circumstances—if only the snow had not been so thick—if only it was not so hard to see—the wind, so unpredictable, sealed his fate—even if he would have been able to keep his balance a gust of that force would have thrown him back anyway—_

_His fingers grasped the edge of the ice for a brief second—so close—but the ice broke off, and down he fell, becoming buried in snow and ice as he went—_

_The avalanche was fierce, but it didn't last too long. In a matter of seconds it was over, but by then Darmani the Great was buried alive in snow and ice, with no way to get back out._

Darmani wanted to sigh in exasperation but couldn't muster the energy. For the last half an hour he had been doing nothing but thinking. He should have fought harder—he could have done more to save himself from this fate. He wondered how long it would be before the cold finally seeped through his tough skin and killed him. He did not want to die, but dying quickly was better than slowly but surely freezing to death. He was trapped in an air pocket about two feet high, his feet obscured by the snow, but most of his upper body still uncovered. He did not consider himself lucky. He would die even slower this way.

While he had been thinking, he had been hearing sounds above him, but he couldn't make them out above the wind. They seemed to be some kind of patting. He didn't care what they were, but he was a bit curious. After all, he had nothing to do but wait for death, and he didn't want to think about that, so he tried to imagine what sorts of things the sounds would be.

He tried to move. He nearly brought the snow crashing down on him, but stopped when his leg burned in intense pain. Broken, certainly. And....

He looked down at his stomach, where he had suddenly felt something warm. Blood. Staining the snow scarlet, he was certain. He had gotten a gash in the stomach, too? It didn't hurt much...maybe that was because he was numb. He tried to look at it. It was pitch black. He could not see. He felt of it with his free arm, which he had found out a long time ago was broken as well.

The gash deep one. The nerve ending might have been severed...or, no, that was only if something had hit his spinal cord, wasn't it?

He was confused and lost. He tried to move again, to bring the snow crashing down, so he wouldn't have to sit in this cold dark place for so long. He would have preferred anything but here.

The sounds above him grew louder. And—it might have been his imagination, a step and a half away from death—but did he see _light?_

He did. The sounds grew so loud he could easily make them out—someone was digging through the snow.

"Is someone up there?" he called hoarsely. He realized he couldn't make his voice work. It hurt. Everything hurt. If someone was up here, they were too late.

An opening, in the top of the air pocket. Light, dim to one who had been standing outside, but brilliantly bright to him. He squinted. There it was—a person, a human, it looked like.

"Please get me out," he whispered, hardly able to work his voice anymore.

"I'll get you out," said a soft female voice. "But I can't save you. I'm so sorry."

The woman sounded close to tears. She touched the snow with her hand, looked up, and said, "Please let him out. Please. I know you told me not to save him, but don't let him die down there."

Instantly the snow touching her hand melted, until Darmani was lying flat on his back, snow no longer covering him.

"Who...were you talking...to?"

"It's okay," the female voice said. Darmani couldn't see who it was—she was wearing a cloak.

"I'll guard your body," she said. "They'll keep you alive for as long as we need, until you find my...."

Here the woman stopped. She swore under her breath and muttered a quick apology to the sky.

"...until you find someone who can help you," she corrected herself.

Darmani tried to speak. It was impossible.

"Leave your body," the woman said softly. "It will at least lessen the pain."

Darmani tried—but he couldn't let go. He was a fighters. Fighters hung on till the last second.

"You have to, or your people will die!"

He concentrated with all of his might on trying to get out of his body. Before long, he was a spirit, a dull gray, standing above himself—no, floating, his legs were gone. He saw with horror that they had turned a horrible shade of blue on his body and were just connected by the bones. The rest of his flesh had been scraped off.

"I'll stay here until you return," she said, "But when you get back I'll be gone. You're looking for a boy named Link, eighteen years old. He has blond hair, with a little red ion it, and bright blue eyes. He'll be wearing all green. He is accompanied by a Gerudo wearing purple, with her hair in a braid, an off-white fairy, and a Hylian—sorry, a human, dressed in normal work clothing, who has blonde hair and dark blue eyes."

"What do I need them for?"

At last, speech.

"They'll help you. Nothing can save your life right now, but they can help you protect your people. Your body will only last ten minutes without the life support from...my instructors. You have to get his attention somehow—and bring him back here. I have already informed him to come here—though he certainly didn't make it easy for me, he's already tried to refuse to listen to me several times—but that's beside the point—he'll be here soon. He can help. Now find him, hurry!"

"Thank you," Darmani said, and he floated away, glad to be away from his body, glad to be away from the place where he knew he would soon die.

Questions burned him—why had she helped him? Who was she talking to? Was he meant to die? Did this woman somehow plan his falling off the ice? Was that why he hadn't been able to save himself, because some higher force had already decided his fate? And what did she mean when she said she had told this boy, this Link, to come?

But the most important question of all was—who was she? Who was she?

**AN:** Ooookay, there we go! I know I've used the cloak trick already—sorry. But, in a way, it too is a clue! n.n God I love doing this, lol. I'm scary. I don't have time for review responses, sorry. I gotta go to bed reeeal fast.

Guys, pretty please review me! Okay, I'm done with the shameless begging. So, I'll see you later! Goodbye!


	21. Chapter Twenty: The Guy in his Head

**Author's Notes: **Err, prepare to be (slightly) cliffhangered! Again! Just so you guys know, I'm probably gonna do some DI work after this—I was reading BatNeko's stories (Go read NOW! They far surpass this piece of crap!) and they're from two different viewpoints, so I got all inspired, why not go with it? Anyways enjoy this chap because for awhile I'll be working n some other stuff. But think about it, it's now two sevenths done! (Beginning, Woodfall, Snowhead, Ranch/Sidequests, Bay, Canyon,. Ending) Awesome! Ok, enough ranting, here's the chapter!

Chapter Twenty: The Guy in His Head

They were at Doc's house, still contemplating what had happened at the swamp, and laughing at Tatl, when they heard it. A huge wave of sound, like rumbling, washed over them. Link jumped to the window to stare at the moon, but it only stared back from its point in the sky, for the moment, harmless.

"What in the world was that?" Kylia asked, walking over to the window where Link was. She too looked at the moon, but saw exactly the same thing Link had—the moon had not been the cause of the sound.

"It was an elephant," Tatl giggled. "A big pink one! Get it? Pink elephant?"

She burst into giggles again and Doc shook his head, putting her gently on the large rock in the frog tank. The blue frog stared at her and gave an amused croak.

"Sounded like an avalanche to me," said Doc. "They happen in the winter all the time around here. Course, it's the middle of April, so...."

"So Maclar's in a lot of trouble," Tatl said, giggling. "He made it snow. He said it was funny. He said since there was no one left to keep the weather thingy safe, he could mess with it and make it snow. And he did. It was funny."

Link groaned and hit his head against the window. "We are not going to spend too much more time cleaning after this stupid skull kid. I want to find Navi. She's in danger. I want to find Ganon. He is a danger. But instead I'm chasing after a stupid little imp with a mask on."

"You'll get over it. In the meantime, why don't you come over to the mountains and see what's up?"

No one said it and Link knew instantly that the stupid voice had come back to bother him. He scratched his hand and risked a glance at Zelda, who was also scratching hers and looking at Link with sympathy.

"What?"

"Oh come on. I'm not stupid. What did it say?"

"What did what say?"

"Quit being difficult. The voice. I know it spoke just now."

"Did not," Link muttered, going red, for now all eyes were on him.

"Either you tell me, or I'm going to use a certain type of telepathy to hack into your mind and find out, along with a few other things you might not want me to know."

"What?" Link yelped. "That's not fair. Can you even do that?"

"You want to find out?"

"You're bluffing."

Link eyed her carefully and she gave him the evil eye right back. They had a short staring contest. Link blinked.

"Damn it, you win, it wants me to go to the _stupid_ mountain, probably to clean up the _stupid_ mess that the _stupid_ skull kid made...."

Thirty minutes later, when Tatl's giggles had almost worn off, and they were nearly to the mountains in the north, (they took a shortcut through Clocktown) Link's complaints had not stopped, nor had they been any different. The voice had spoken to him twice more, urging to hurry, but he paid it no attention whatsoever, only scratched his hand and continued to mutter darkly.

"...and it's so _stupid_, the way we have to clean up the _stupid_ trouble caused by some _stupid_ imp wearing a _stupid_ mask, with a _stupid_ voice talking in my _stupid_ head every time I turn around...."

"You're funny," Tatl said, giggling, but not quite as hard as before.

"When we get there," Link declared, "I'm stuffing you in the snow. Did I ever tell you guys I hate snow?"

"No."

"Well I do. It's pretty and probably fun to play in, but I've never played in it, only nearly killed myself in it, trying to get down the _stupid_ Zora's River when _stupid_ Ganondorf froze it, which proved to be a _stupid_ waste of my _stupid_ time...."

"Aah, Link?"

"What?"

"We're here. Take a look."

Link up from the ground and froze. Before him lay a beautiful mountain, covered in white snow. Link had known there was snow here, but it still seemed so unreal—it was April, _April_, and the snow looked fresh.

"Do we have to hike that?"

"Unfortunately," Kylia said. "Don't worry, it can't be impossible."

"You're right about that one," Tatl said, suppressing a giggle. "But it comes pretty damn close."

To everyone's extreme disappointment, they found that Tatl was right. The trip up the mountain nearly _was_ impossible. At first, the surface of the rock was smooth, and free of snow, but as they progressed higher, the snow began to fall, coating the ground in white, making the smooth surface of the rock difficult to climb. Then they reached a place where the snow was nearly up to their knees and stopped, shivering.

"We won't be able to make it," Kylia said, teeth chattering.

"Oh yes we will," Link said. "It's not impossible, remember?"

"If you say so," Kylia answered.

Link was determined to get to the top of that mountain. His fierceness and determination took them by surprise and sparked in them all a sense of we are going to get there or die trying. It was admirable, and it worked—for in ten more minutes Link spotted a break in the steep inclines, where the ground was more or less flat.

They had reached the Mountain Village.

---

Darmani floated through the old Goron Village, feeling sorry for his people and himself. Thus far, he had not seen any boy in green, or anything else he could be happy about. His little brother, nicknamed, "Twitch," had been seen crying into another Goron's shoulder because he missed "Darmi," and his their father, who he had tried to explain over and over was dead, gone, not coming back. He tried to say, their father had frozen to death at the edge of the mountain before he could flee, for he was too elderly to move fast enough to escape the cold.

But Twitch would have none of it, and even as Darmani watched him cry, Twitch had whispered, "Darmi and Daddy will be back soon, right?" and the Goron holding him just hadn't had the heart to tell him no.

Maybe, he mused, this person would not have made it to Goron Village, much less inside the Shrine. Perhaps they had died trying to get up the mountain. It was entirely possible. While the Mountain Village was indeed covered in more snow that it ever had been, it was sill fairly inhabitable, for the winters were always harsh. The Goron Village was also still inhabitable, except for the bitter cold and wind. The problem was that the winter had taken them all by surprise. They hadn't stored up food or moved to the shelters or anything.

He decided to go down to the Mountain Village for a look. These people had to be close by—they just had to be.

He knew from experience that not everyone could see ghosts. He had never been able to, but he knew some who had. People with a heightened sense of magic or destiny could, as well as those whose existence was magical—fairies, and other mythical creatures. He knew at least the fairy of this group would see him, if no one else did, so he started down the path. On the way down, he started to hear voices.

"...don't see why we had to come up this way," a tiny female voice grumbled.

"I told you," snapped another voice, male, "I told you. That stupid person in my head won't leave me alone. It told me to go to where the Gorons live, which was up this way."

"At least the snow isn't as thick here," said another female voice, but not a tiny one. This voice was bright and cheerful.

"It is too thick," grumbled a final female voice, sounding lower than the one before it. "Zelda, if this isn't thick snow I'd hate to see your idea of a blizzard."

"I hate that stupid voice," the male said with conviction. "We'll freeze before we get there."

Trusting his gut instinct, which told him these people might be those he was looking for, Darmani followed the voices down the path until he saw it A flash of purple, brilliant against the blinding white of the snow.

"_...he is accompanied by a Gerudo wearing purple, with her hair in a braid...."_

He made his way down a little further, noticing how his gray form had suddenly turned stark white, as if hiding. He watched in frustration as he faded entirely. _Now_ how were these humans going to see him?

For they were the ones he was looking for—there was the boy in green, the one the woman had called Link, and the Gerudo with purple clothing and the braid. There was the human in normal clothing that the woman had called a Hylian—what was a Hylian, anyway?—and there was the off-white fairy, complaining loudly.

"Hey!" Darmani shouted. "You, kid, can you hear me?"

He waved his invisible arm in front of Link's face, and then through Link's head. Link took no notice, for as cold as he was already, surely he would not be able to feel a ghost pass through him.

Darmani sulked and floated away. He flickered on again, continued sulking, then flickered back into invisibility.

"So it's random, is it?" he mused.

"Not random."

Darmani jumped and looked around, but he realized that voice came inside his own head. If he hadn't heard it before, he would not have been able to tell it was a female voice, the voice of the woman who had touched the snow to make it melt and talked to the sky. He was silent, waiting for her to continue.

"Your body is in a horrible state. The closer you are to death, the more visible you become. Even with your soul out searching for Link your body still refuses to quit. You'll just have to hang around until they see you."

Darmani cursed and went back to find the humans. They were to the Goron village by then, looking around, surveying the damage in horror, probably wondering how the heat loving Gorons could survive this. Darmani floated patiently beside them, listening to them talk.

"I don't like this. I realize he's suicidal and demented, but I still don't understand why he did this," Link was saying.

"Because he hated everybody," the off-white fairy said. "Damn, I'm talking in past tense, like that mask killed him. He still does hate everybody. They made him miserable. He decided to share the love. I dunno."

"Tatl," Link said sadly to the fairy, "That's hardly what I'd call 'sharing the love,' it's more like what I'd call trying to kill everyone in sight like a homicidal maniac."

"Suicidal maniac," corrected the Gerudo woman dully.

"Stop making it out like it's a joke, like it's funny," the human girl said crossly. "Good grief, Kylia, you've gotten just as bad as Link. Like scaring that poor little kid in Clocktown."

"Lighten up, Zel," Link said. He took the her hand and Darmani thought that they way they looked at each other surely mean they were married, or at least engaged. He forgot about becoming visible for a moment and watched the two of them bicker for a moment before the Gerudo, Kylia, finally cut in.

"How many people actually call you Zel, Zelda?"

"One."

"Aww, how sweet."

Zelda stuck her tongue out at her.

"It was his idea," she muttered, and Darmani was sure her ace wasn't red just from the cold.

He didn't become visible for quite awhile. He watched as the people talked to his fellow Gorons, asked around about what had happened, and finally Darmani learned something—and imp, a skull kid, called Maclar, had stolen a powerful mask, and with it, wreaked havoc on Termina. He had set the swamp to the south ablaze, and had tampered with the weather. How or why he was doing this, Darmani was not sure, nor did he understand their references to "Day One," "Day Two," and "Day Three," or their continuous talk of cycles and a place called Hyrule.

At one point, when Link was outside, he stiffened, and scratched at his hand. Darmani leaned right through him to see Link's hand (Link didn't notice the freezing chill of a ghost leaning through him, because it was already so cold outside) and saw that it bore a triangle mark on it, one that had glowed just before Link began to scratch it. Zelda had also scratched her hand, which also had a triangle mark that had glowed, but she had not stiffened the way Link had.

"Spit it out," she said to Link. "Come on, I know you heard it again, what did it say?"

"To go inside the Goron Shrine and someone who needed my help would be able to get my attention."

_What?_ thought Darmani. _But how? I might still be invisible!_

Link shivered, and then walked around the village, trying to locate the Goron Shrine, his companions following faithfully after him. And suddenly Darmani had to wonder....

That person Link had heard in his head...perhaps it had been the same person he himself had heard? If so, then it was the strange woman who talked to the sky. Perhaps he knew her. If he ever got Link's attention, he would ask.

Then he remembered why he had to get his attention. He was dying.

For a moment he had almost forgotten.

Link finally located the Goron guarding the Shrine door, and coaxed him to open the door for a small second to let him inside. When he and his companions finally got in, they sighed with relief.

"It's much warmer in here," Zelda said happily. "I can feel my toes again."

"Kind of noisy, though," Link remarked, referring to the loud wailing that could be heard throughout the Shrine. "We'll wait here for a minute and if nothing happens, we're going back out, because I'm getting sick of this mystery voice ordering me around."

_Warmer,_ Darmani thought. _Warmer._

And then it came to him. Whether they could see him or not, they could certainly feel him. He floated near Zelda and she shivered.

"I think the wind's getting in here. It's still chilly."

Darmani grinned triumphantly, and did something he knew would definitely get Link's attention—he put his entire arm straight through the human's chest.

The effect of this was somewhat expected, but surprising all the same. Link jumped and swore, putting both hands on his chest, wincing. He leaned back against the wall and sank slowly to the floor. Then his eyes snapped open.

To everyone's amazement, he looked relieved.

"I thought I really had lost it," he explained when Zelda asked. "Hearing voices in my head, and all that, combined with this...ever since we got here, I felt like there was something following us."

"It's this," Zelda said automatically, holding up her hand. "I've felt it too." The hand that Zelda held up was the very same one with the triangle mark on it. What was this strange mark, anyway? Why did it glow and itch and what did it mean?

"I felt this huge cold right here," Link explained, putting one hand over his chest. "Numbed me. Like someone had put an ice cube down my throat. It's whatever's following us."

"I wonder if it's good or bad," Kylia said.

"Good," said Darmani, but no one heard him. He instead passed his hand though Kylia's shoulder. She yelped with surprise.

"Cut that out, whatever you are!"

"Sorry, I have to get your attention somehow."

"So," said Zelda, looking apprehensive, "I suppose this is what needs our help?"

"Yes," Darmani shouted into her ear. She didn't hear him. She leaned against the stone wall, looking around, trying to keep her distance from something she couldn't even see. Feeling frustrated, Darmani put his arm through her stomach. She shrieked and backed further against the wall.

It was actually a bit amusing. Making sure no one was left out, Darmani swatted at the fairy, who giggled and shivered and then promptly passed out, causing him to feel guilty; maybe it had been too much for something so little. Link peeled her off the floor, looking anxious.

"Damn it," he said to a point about three feet to Darmani's right. "Cut that out. What do you want? Are you a ghost?"

"Yes, I'm a ghost, and someone told me I have to lead you back to my body," Darmani said. As he said it, he flickered gray, right before Link's eyes.

Link gave Tatl to Zelda. "Did you see that? Did you hear it?"

"Something gray, and the word 'body,' right?"

"Yeah. Hey, do that again, gray thing."

"I only wish I could!" Darmani said exasperatedly. "Look, can't you even hear? Fine, I give up. There's no hope, I'll quit trying. Damn! I hate this!"

"Hate _what_?" Link asked suddenly. Then his eyes grew wide and he elbowed Zelda and Kylia. "Guys—_guys_—"

"About time," Darmani said crossly.

Zelda rubbed her eyes, and Kylia followed suit.

"Wow," Zelda said. "You're a—ghost. A Goron!"

"Yes," Darmani said impatiently. "I'm not sure how long I'll stay visible. Someone told me I could find you here and that you're supposed to help me somehow. Please follow me, and quickly."

---

The hood of her cloak was off and she was instead in normal clothing, normal, but warm. She could change her attire with a simple request and a snap of her fingers, and she preferred to dress this way, while no one was watching.

"They're coming," she said to Darmani's body, delighted. "Sure took them long enough."

She sighed sadly and looked up the sky.

"I hope you have a pretty good reason for this," she said, looking dejected. "So many people miss him. I wish I could tell him I know how he feels and that it'll be okay. But I have to do _what you say_, exactly." The woman made a face, then sighed again. "I don't mind. It's worth it."

There were footsteps and voices. They were getting too close!

"Turn me invisible, please, hurry, hurry," she said in a whisper. Her attire instantly changed back to the cloak, and slowly she started to fade from sight. She had all but vanished when she saw a flash of green and she impulsively took two steps back into the snow.

Link's blue eyes widened slightly as he came upon the scene. They had been escorted by the ghost, who kept flickering off and had had to use his cold powers and voice to keep them moving, down to the valley beneath the awful path to Snowhead.

This valley was accessible all times of the year, for it was where Gorons grew bomb flowers in the spring. In the winter, however, people were warned to stay away because of the risk of avalanches. They weren't up on the path made of ice that Link could see high above them, but below it. The snow here was red, all red, from blood. In the middle of a low place in the snow—it looked s if it had melted—there was a Goron, his legs almost completely detached from his body, eyes closed, still, somehow, alive. He had a huge gash in his stomach and both of his arms were purple and sticking out at odd angles.

And his legs....

His legs were almost solid blue, except for the blood, the blood, the blood....

Was it Link's imagination, or had something darted out of sight the minute he came upon the scene?

"How are we supposed to help you?" Link said weakly to the ghost. "I...I mean, it doesn't look like...."

"The woman said either way, I was going to die, but that you could somehow help me help my people. I don't understand that. If I'm destined to die, then how can you help me?"

And then it clicked.

"_That Deku Scrub had stumbled into Clock Town, looking for help. He found me instead. Though I knew of nothing that could save his body, I did know of something that could save his soul. I played the Song of Healing and trapped his soul into this mask."_

"I know how we can help you," Link said slowly. "I remember."

He turned to Zelda, getting out his ocarina, his eyes questioning. She nodded, firmly.

"It's the only way."

Link turned back to the ghost to tell him what he was about to do, but he was gone. Link then looked at the horribly mangled Goron lying on the ground, and realized with a start his eyes were open. Just barely.

"Don't care what it is," the Goron said hoarsely. They could barely hear him. "Do it."

Link lifted the Ocarina of Time to his lips. Tatl, who had awakened and was sitting on Kylia's shoulder, Kylia, and Zelda, all watched anxiously. Link played six notes that could barely be heard above the winds, and the body of the Goron started to shudder and glow. The eyes opened wide, and the mouth grimaced. There was a whooshing sound, and all at once, there was a mask laying on the red snow.

"Now well have to tell him what we've done," Zelda said.

"How?"

"Put on the mask."

"_What?_"

Link looked helplessly at Kylia and Tatl, who were both on Zelda's side. They wheedled and argued for almost ten minutes out in the snow.

But finally, with a shrug, Link slipped on the mask. It was a lot more painful than becoming a Deku for the first time—he had to grow bigger, instead of shrink, and it felt like his body was exploding. He would have cried out but h was suspended, unable to move or breathe or think—

And it was over. He was a Goron. He looked down at himself, amazed. He felt so strong, so powerful. He looked back up at his companions, who were staring at him with awe.

"Wow," he said. His voice was deeper. It was amazing.

Time to tell Darmani what happened.

"But I already know," Darmani said crossly. "And I thank you, but for now there is a more vital piece of information I think you ought to know."

Oh? Link thought. His Goron body was still tingling, and thinking was an escape from the pain.

"Yes," said Darmani. "I've met the voice in your head."

"Really?" Link said eagerly, out loud, forgetting to think. "Who is it?"

"I'm not sure, but she's the one who saved me. She was wearing a cloak, so I don't know what she looked like."

"She?" Link asked. "_She?_ You mean the guy in my head is a _girl?_"

**AN:** Ta-da! More shameless begging now—please leave me a review. ;-; I'll give you a cookie and a Link, Sheik, Zelda, or Ganon plushie! Please? PLEASE? I'm bribing you by giving you spoiling privileges again!

Review responses:

**Chocopop: **Hey, yeah, I do love mysterious figures. I couldn't think of anything better than a cloak to put her in though, that's my main problem. Glad you like this! n.n  
**ooka-chan: **You have ideas, eh? Let's hear them, I'm curious as to what people think! And, as for the juice, drink a lot of Coke or Pepsi, it'll have the same effect XD  
**FlameBrain:** Ok, what YOU need to do is get a walkthrough of the game and perhaps read that. And we all wonder who the girl is. She ain't in MM. Hah! I'll never tell. Also, I've tried original fiction. Three times. And each time I, pardon my Japanese, flushed it down the shitter. By the way, do you realize you reviewed almost every single chapter? O.O That's so cool! ::shakes you left hand with my left hand:: Thank you!  
**serenitythefaierikin: **Masterpiece? You lie! I'm glad you liked it though, and I got seven reviews this time so I'm happy now! n.n Also, go ahead and say it! I dun mind. Was this soon enough? It's been a whole week, sorry....  
**aqua seafoam shame:** Lol, you're blonde? Oh well, that doesn't' make you dumb. That was kind of funny though :p  
**Pata Hikari: **That's basically what happens, but I have alternative motives as to why. n.n;  
Hikari: She hasn't been in this story before, but she's been in others. I'm glad you liked the chappie. n.n

Thank everybody for reviewing! I love you! I'm going to go now, byes!


	22. Chapter TwentyOne: Sheik

**Author's Notes: **This chapter is amazingly short, because I am going on vacation soon, and will not be returning until Wednesday, and wanted to update before I left so I could come home to lots of reviews! (That is indeed a hint.) Though this chapter is short, however, it has lots of goodies. Another Hyrule scene, and then something cool happens at the end—don't get confused! I don't give too much detail on the location because I don't want you to know it yet. Anyways, more stuff to wonder about, now, and not much to read, but this will have to suffice for now. Enjoy, and **PLEASE**, review!

Chapter Twenty-One: Sheik

It came too early.

They hadn't really been expecting it.

Everyone who had witnessed the time traveling incident had been prepared to gather at the Inn again at eleven, an hour before midnight, to await for the miracle to happen again. And yet, Link must have decided to travel back earlier than that, because it happened to all of them much sooner than eleven, and after it did, of course, they all went back to the Inn anyways.

Late in the evening of the first day, Johan was having coffee as he usually did, when Ani poked him in the shoulder.

"Yes?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

"Come downstairs. Pick up the pace, for crying out loud," she added as he poured himself another cup of coffee.

"What's wrong?"

"Come downstairs," Ani repeated flatly.

She opened the bookcase, and Johan, feeling a bit on edge, picked up his paper before he followed her, just to make her grimace.

"Nice weather we're having," Johan said peaceably.

She wasn't very forgiving. She just huffed and walked down to the front room, where Ani and Jai were sitting, making idle conversation.

"Something bad is happening," Ani said, still in that same flat tone.

Johan, worried, set down his paper and coffee.

"What is it?"

Ani took a deep breath and began to talk.

"After time went back again, you know me and Jai and Tara went back to Gerudo Valley. We checked to see if anyone remembered anything, and no one did. So I told my head of security to jump up the guards again, and then I went to the Spirit Temple, yeah?"

"What for?"

"I had a hunch," Tara said miserably from the couch. "Kylia is a sage, remember? The Spirit Sage. She isn't here anymore. I wondered what would happen. I got worried and went running to Ani."

"And," Jai said, steadying herself on the arm of the couch, "You won't believe what we found out."

---

Ani, Tara and Jai entered the Spirit Temple stealthily, almost as if wary of an attack from Kylia or the witches. They all knew none of that would ever happen again, but the temple gave them such strong memories of the things that had happened it wasn't easy to walk any way but silently.

"So what exactly are we looking for?" Jai asked cheerfully.

Tara rolled her eyes. Jai's cheerfulness was beginning to wear on her nerves.

"We're looking for something that looks...out of place," Tara said in a low voice. "Since Kylia is gone, the place might be unbalanced."

"So, basically, to keep you and Ani sane, we're taking a tour, right?"

She sounded so _happy_ about this!

"Right," Ani said loudly, stopping what she knew would have been a very amusing argument under normal circumstances.

So they started the tour. Just like the last time they entered, Jai squeezed into the small hole in the right of the room while Tara took the path to the right and Ani ventured outside, into the swirling sands and hot wind.

She found nothing out of the ordinary outdoors, so she had plenty of time to brood. It was hot outside, very hot, and the sand blowing in the air hit her skin painfully, but she did not go inside. Instead she turned her face up to the sun, letting it warm her skin.

Kylia wasn't here, and she was a sage. That meant that the desert portion of Hyrule was suffering somehow, or would suffer, if she didn't come back soon. But what would happen, really? What signs could there possibly be? And, would it be so bad if the desert vanished? After all, no one could get much use out of it....

Almost immediately Ani regretted thinking such a thing. The elements of Hyrule were Light, Forest, Fire, Water, Shadow, and Spirit. If even one vanished, the rest would suffer as well. They had to stay in balance. Forest was the opposing element to the desert, so if the desert collapsed, the forests would probably grow out of control, using up the water...water, in turn, would no longer be there to keep fire in check, and the fire would burn the forests, and everything else along with it.

Ani actually shuddered. Yes, everything had to stay balanced.

But then, she thought suddenly, if evil was destroyed...if Ganondorf was found and destroyed...the light, the good, would be out of control. She couldn't imagine anything bad coming out of that, but she had been around when Link was gone, and even though she hadn't known Link then, she knew that light was gone, and darkness was out of control. It had been...horrific. So if the light was out of control, could that be just as bad?

No, she decided. No, nothing could ever be as bad as that had been.

That part of Ani's life was still painfully real to her. Seven years of complete and utter hell. And the hell still wasn't over. Her fists clenched. They _would_ find Ganondorf, and they would _destroy_ him.

She coughed, inhaling a little sand, and decided to go back in. She turned to walk back to the entrance, and, as she walked, something strange happened.

The sun seemed to be going out. Clouds rolled over the sky, appearing so suddenly she thought it must be some kind of dream. But it was no dream—the clouds grew thicker and thicker and thunder sounded in the distance.

One thought made its way to Ani's paralyzed brain—_get inside._

She ran, but already the whole area was lit up with lightning, and the rain was pouring down in sheets, drenching her, and drenching the dry sand. The sand....

Ani panicked and began to run faster. The water was making the sand wet, too wet, and it was turning into quicksand. Her shoes were sucked off of her feet. She saw the horses in the distance, struggling to get something firm under them. Cursing and groaning, she ran to them, and lead them roughly over to the stone surface where the mark of the Triforce was—the warp pad.

Now, however, though the horses were safe, she was not. The lightning was becoming more and more frequent, and the thunder louder. Not only that, but the rain was pouring down so hard she couldn't even see five feet. She couldn't get to the Spirit Temple—she couldn't see it, and anyway the sand would suck her in before she got there.

She was stuck, and she thoroughly hated it.

But just when she began to worry, the clouds all but vanished, the wind started again, and the sun, bright and hot, came out and warmed her soaked body.

---

"Not good," Johan said. His eyes, normally a light greenish gray, had turned a dark shade of gray in his worry. "How did you get out of that mess? The whole desert turned into quicksand, didn't it?"

"We waited a minute," Tara said. "I saw Ani out there through a window, and she seemed okay. She threw us a rope from the saddlebags and we used that to help us across. Then we played the song that was supposed to warp us to that place above Lake Hylia. We rode to Gerudo Valley first to warn everyone, then we came straight here."

"There's more to it, though," Jai said eagerly. "I found something inside the temple—a redead. I killed it off, but it was still _there_."

Johan frowned again. He had played a role in destiny several months before by taking the role as Messenger of the Sages, and though everyone else seemed to forget this detail, he had not. He knew a lot about various temples, but knew the most about the Spirit Temple, because Kylia had been trapped there, and he had visited her the most often.

"A redead should not be in the Spirit Temple," he said slowly. "They dwell mainly in Shadow Temple, except in rare circumstances. Like—the Market."

Johan was, of course, referring to the times when Ganondorf had killed his enemies and left them to rot in the Market, which had been torn apart by his hand already. They eventually turned into redeads, and, unable to cross the water or enter Ganon's Tower, they made their home in the ruined Market, and any who were thrown in the Market were either eaten alive or forced to join their ranks.

"Actually, now that I think about it," Johan mused, "When Kylia left Hyrule someone should have taken her place as sage. It's a natural law that a sage _is_ in Hyrule, at all times."

"It must be because she's still, y'know, alive," Jai said. "I guess it isn't passed on unless someone dies?"

"I guess not," Johan said thoughtfully, staring at his coffee. "Why are you telling me this, though? I'm not sure what to do about it."

"Well aren't you the Messenger of the Sages? I mean, don't you know more about the temples than everybody else?"

"Here I was thinking everyone forgot," Johan said, laughing. "I really don't see what we can do, though, except maybe pray. Kylia is gone—she can't even pass the sagehood to someone else for the time being. We can tell everyone else, but other than that, there's nothing we can do. We'll tell everyone about the temple later, right now they're all gone."

"Where to?" Jai asked curiously.

"Rauru is at the castle, Impa's trying to take care of the king, Saria is out in the Market showing Mido the wonders of non-Kokiri food and drink, Talon is probably selling milk in Kakariko, which leaves Malon and Wes at the ranch. Malon is trying to teach Wes to ride properly."

"Wow," Ani said, impressed. She lifted an eyebrow. "How d'you remember all of that, hm?"

Johan shrugged, then grinned.

"I come from a large family," he said.

---

Navi swore at the skull kid as he showed her the damage he had done.

"You see?" he whispered, eyes glinting in the firelight of the burning grass. "You think I still care, don't you, stupid fairy? You're wrong!"

Navi could only swear at him even more, cursing her position. She was helpless inside this bottle. She wished she could yell for help, if only someone would come and...of course. Yell for help. On a sudden inspiration, Navi sent out a telepathic plea.

_Hey,_ she thought, _if anyone is out there, the grass is burning over here!_

"Stop that," the skull kid hissed, sensing what she was doing.

"I will not," Navi said stubbornly.

"Stop. I said, stop," the skull kid yelled.

_Help! _Navi thought. _We're by the big rock with a carving in it, next to the waterfall. Someone, help! Help!_

"Tael," Navi whispered, so that the skull kid would not hear, "Tael, help me. He won't know you're helping me."

"Okay," Tael whispered bravely, and together, they called for help....

---

At that moment, a young man named Sheik awoke from his sleep with a start.

"Wha—?"

He tried to gather his surroundings. Where was he? Why was he asleep here, and not at home with little Ryn? Ah, yes, he had fallen asleep in this tree, and had awoken because...?

Sheik closed his ruby-colored eyes, deep in thought. He tried to picture what had awoken him—

Ah. A ball of light. Two balls of light. A white one, and a purple one. They needed help. They were crying out for help as if the world was ending. But, then again, Sheik reasoned, with a foreboding glance at the sky, the world _was_ ending...or it would soon.

The funny thing about it was that he had sensed a change in the flow of time recently—the same three days had been replaying over and over, and he and his sister Ryn were the only ones who seemed to notice. Someone was fooling around with the time flow, making it do strange things,, and he didn't like that at all. He was trying to get answers, but he had come up short and decided he could use a nap.

And then those fairies had awoken him....

_Where are you?_ Sheik thought at them silently. _Answer me. I'm here. I'll help you. Tell me where you are. Tell me what's happening._

_By the carved rock,_ came the frantic reply, after several tense moments. _The one by the waterfall. The grass is burning. Everything is going to catch fire!_

Sheik's eyes went unfocused as he thought even harder. Sweat appeared on his forehead.

_I'm not sure where you mean,_ he thought. _Can you send me a picture, in your mind?_

He could no longer see the world around him—it changed. He was looking through thick glass at a rock with a carving on it—with the carving on it, the one of the eye crying a tear of blood. The waterfall was next to it, but only the area where the mist fell was unhurt—everything else was in flames.

He knew where that was!

Sheik jumped out of the tree and landed too hard. Wincing, he got to his feet, hobbling slowly, then walking, then running, towards the place where the fire was.

"I'm coming," he muttered out loud, knowing that the fairies could hear him. He jumped over a fallen log, ducked under a tree branch, nearly tripped, stopped a moment to regain balance, and continued.

And then, all at once, he could see the fire. A billowing flame, burning everything within sight, and above it, floating there, was an imp wearing the most terrible mask the young man had ever seen in his life. He shuddered as he sensed the power radiating from it. He felt a terrible cold coming from that imp, a cold that made Sheik want to run away, far away, for the first time in his life.

But he could not run—he had to save his homeland.

Sheik uttered a powerful spell in his native language, that caused the flow of the river to rise up above the ground, splashing back down on the fire. The skull kid noticed him at last, and turned to him, raising a hand—

And just as the spell fired, Sheik put up a shield, and the spell bounced off, hitting a nearby cliff. The rocks fell down, and would have buried the skull kid, but Sheik stopped them. He had seen the fairies with this skull kid, the ones who needed help, and he was reluctant to hurt them. Instead he used telekinesis to move the rocks in a swarming circle around the ksull kid, and pelt them at his body one at a time. The imp surprised Sheik by dodging all but two.

When the last rock hit his body, the skull kid dropped the bottle he was holding, containing the white fairy. It shattered into a thousand pieces, and the fairy let out a whoop.

Navi flew back up to Tael, relishing her freedom. She was giving him no choice—she was going to get him out of here. She grabbed him by the arm and dragged him down to the ground, where the young man was fighting with all he had.

The man had put out the fire, and was now directing the stream of water at the skull kid, who was coughing and sputtering. Navi still couldn't get a good look at him—he seemed familiar somehow, but she couldn't place from where. He turned to her, and she caught a pair of red eyes looking at her with deep concern. The water was still running attheskull kid.

"Stop!" Tael cried suddenly. "Please, stop, you'll kill him!"

The imp above them was not unaware of why his punishment had been stopped, and for that, he was grateful. The man on the ground put the water back in the river and the skull kid flew away quietly. Just this once—he wouldn't put up a fight.

Navi couldn't believe it—he was gone!

"Thank you," she said, turning back to the man who had saved her. She started to say more, but the words died in her throat. Standing before her was a Shekiah man—and as if that fact wasn't amazing enough, it was the same Shekiah she had rescued five sages with. And yet...he was wearing no mask...and his garments were looser, much looser...nothing was covering his shaggy blond hair, which hung to a point just below his ears.

"Zelda?" Navi asked, confused.

"Zelda?" he repeated. "That's a girl's name! I'm Sheik."

Navi blinked. "But...you...."

"I've never even met anyone named Zelda," Sheik said, frowning.

"You're a Shekiah," Navi managed weakly. "They're dead, though...all of them...."

"Dead?" repeated Sheik. "Has there been an attack?"

"No! I mean, they all died years and years ago...."

Sheik's ruby eyes widened.

"You—you're from Hyrule! What's your name?"

"Navi. And this is Tael."

"Let me assure you, Navi, the Shekiah have not died. They live. Indeed, they do. Follow me."

And, shaking head from foot, Navi did.

**AN:** No, this Sheik and the Sheik in OoT are not the same people. Termina is a parallel world, what with the twins, remember? Anyways, it's five am, I gotta get up at nine or sooner, so review responses and then goodnight.

**DiscoDude7:** Three people? I'm trying to think of three people it could possibly be, and coming up blank....  
**serenitythefaierikin:** Lol, I hate it when that happens. Best of luck in remembering, I'll try to update again soon!  
**Snowsilver: **Thank you for reviewing! n.n I'll try to review yours as soon as I can. You are, actually, the first person to notice (or comment on) the name thing. No one else seemed to notice! It's weird. Again, thank you for the looong review!  
**FlameBrain:** Actually, in the game, he gets like four or five...THAT will be fun. And I've made it glaringly obvious! (About the voice, I mean.)  
**Miss Penny: **I love your new pen name! I dunno why, it just rocks. You go!  
**T-bone:** Sorry, not telling!  
**ooka-chan:** ::gives you a cookie and plushie::  
**Hikari: **Actually, hmm, other than this one, three other stories. I'm glad someone knows who it is by now—I made it so obvious! ::cries::  
**Chocopop:** But it will be a veeery long time before her true identity is revealed. Maybe not even in this story! o.o  
**Pata Hikari:** Mwe-hee, not telling the answers to any of those except this one—Link couldn't tell it was a girl because he felt the words rather than heard them. That junk.  
**zeldafreak319: **To be honest, you probably would benefit from playing the game, but it isn't required or anything....


	23. Chapter TwentyTwo: The Goron Lullaby

**Author's Notes: **Well, aren't you all shocked? Thought I forgot about this story, didn't you? Well, guess what. I didn't. I did, however, get a severe writer's block on this story—I knew what I wanted to write and how I wanted to write it, but, I couldn't seem to get the words out. But then I happened across Starfox Assault, one of the best games ever...and, after writing with it until I got bored, I realized I wanted to do Zelda again. And, I did this! I don't think I've ever gone so long without updating, with the exception of Sam and Johan's stories...anyways, I do apologize for the long wait and hope you guys enjoy this.

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Goron Lullaby

"Where are we going?" Navi asked the young Shekiah next to her. They had been walking for a very long time, or, in the case of Navi and Tael, flying, and though she was not tired, Navi was anxious to get to wherever they were going.

She squeezed Tael's hand as they floated along, waiting for Sheik's answer. She actually felt a little sorry for him—he was very scared, and young, too. Her mother instinct had kicked in and she was now taking care of him as she would Link—and she immediately made her mind move elsewhere at that thought, because she missed Link too much to think about him.

"To my village," Sheik replied, half-smiling at them. It was one of the few things he had said during their entire trip, because he could tell how uneasy the two fairies were. He didn't want to upset them, not after the terrible ordeal they had obviously been through, but it was getting harder and harder to retain his curiosity.

"_Do_ you come from Hyrule?" Sheik blurted out finally, unable to stop himself any longer.

"I do," said Navi.

"I don't," Tael said, feeling a little shy. "I was born in Termina, but I go to Hyrule a lot. It's a nice place—but I like Termina better."

"Same here," Navi said, laughing a little. "Just the other way around."

"Well—"

Sheik started to speak, but stopped rather quickly.

"What?" Navi urged. "What, what?"

"It's just that...when you said all the Shekiah were dead, it scared me. I figured right away you must be from Hyrule, because only in Hyrule do they know what Shekiah _are_. But...there _are_ Shekiah in Hyrule, right?"

Navi bowed her head.

"Only one," she said. "Well—one and a half."

"One?" Sheik asked, horrified. "Wait a second, what do you mean by one and a half?"

"Well—I called you Zelda because she's the half-Shekiah, in a way," Navi said. "She used magic to turn herself into a Shekiah a long time ago. That's a pretty complicated story. The other Shekiah is the Shadow Sage of Hyrule—Zelda's nanny, too."

"But what _happened_ to the rest of them?" Sheik persisted, not sure he wanted to know.

"Well, until I met you, I thought they had all died...in Hyrule, people all think that the Shekiah were wiped out in the Wars...do you know what those were?"

Sheik's gaze darkened as his eyes dropped to the ground and Navi knew at once that he _did_ know what she was talking about, and the subject caused him a great deal of anguish.

"I'm sorry," Navi said quickly.

"No, don't be—It's just...my parents died in the Wars," said Sheik, grimacing, fists clenched. He took a quick breath to calm himself before continuing. It always made him angry and sad, to think that the parents he couldn't remember died the way they had.

"My mother and father," Sheik said slowly, "When I was very little. A lot of the Shekiah did die then. Anali, that's my adoptive mother, she's told me all about it...years ago, when the Wars reached their worst, and children were being killed, we started having doubts, about fighting. Half of us wanted to stay and fight and see the thing through, so no one else would be hurt. The other half wanted to take us children, at least, and get out of there. In the end, we divided. Half of us went, and half of us stayed. From what you told me, I know now, the half that stayed were all killed. My mother and father stayed, with a lot of my family...I knew before now that _they_ were dead, because a Shekiah always knows when their loved ones have...passed on—but I thought others had perhaps survived..."

"I'm sorry," Navi said again, and she and Tael landed gently on Sheik's shoulder.

"Like I said, don't be," Sheik said softly, giving them another half-smile. "I don't remember it, I just know the story because Anali told me...I was very little, one, maybe two years old. We all lived on Death Mountain then, and we found a secret passage from there to the Lost Woods where the Kokiri lived. We stumbled onto the village, and they gave us food, and water, and pointed us toward a camp of imps—a lot like the one that had you in the bottle. One of the imps showed the Shekiah a way to a place far away—here. And those of us that survived have been living here ever since.

"Now," Sheik said, and Navi noticed a playful glint in his eyes, "_I_ have some questions for _you._"

X

"She?" Link had repeated. "_She?_ You mean the guy in my head is a _girl?_"

"Obviously," Darmani answered.

"Uh, Link?" Tatl asked uncertainly. "Who _exactly_ are you talking to?"

"Darmani," Link answered. "What do I look like?"

"Like a Goron with a green hat on," Kylia said, snatching up off of his head and putting it in her pack. "There. Better. You could pass for Darmani himself."

"Don't even think about it," Darmani's voice growled.

"I should do it!" Link exclaimed, and Kylia noted how odd it was to see a Goron acting as hyper as Link usually did. "Please?"

"No way! Everyone thinks I've gone off to Snowhead."

"Fine. Whatever."

"Link, you're _talking to yourself_."

"Buzz off, Tatl."

Tatl huffed.

"So, what do you suggest we do then?"

"Me?"

"Dammit, Tatl, I'm talking to _Darmani_."

"I suggest," Darmani said coolly, "That we get into Snowhead."

"You're a two ton Goron—"

"I'm a fairy!"

"—be quiet, Tatl—and you couldn't do it. So we need a different plan, maybe?"

"It was because of the wind," Darmani the Great snapped. "I couldn't get past it. We must put it to sleep."

"And we do that how?"

"Do what how?" Tatl asked.

"Shut up," Zelda said. Kylia raised an eyebrow. If anybody had bothered to look, they would be able to see that she was trying very hard not to smile.

"Okay," said Darmani. "There's a legend, passed down in the Goron tribes. The legend is that of the Giant Goron Brothers. They were the first guardians of the Snowhead Temple. The younger brother stayed outside the fortress and destroyed all those who sought to get in for their own desires, for he was so large he could make the wind with his own breath. The elder brother stayed inside the fortress and guarded the mechanism that controls the seasons. It's said they were both larger than any Goron that had ever lived."

"How large?" Link asked.

"How large what?" Tatl asked.

"You were shutting up, remember?" Zelda asked. Tatl scowled and Kylia had to bite her lip to keep from laughing out loud.

"Pretty big. But that isn't the point," Darmani said impatiently. "There was a melody that the elder brother played to the younger brother, to get him to sleep at night. That melody was taught to the leaders of the tribes. It's the only way to get in."

"Then," Link said slowly, "Why did you go in without playing the song?"

"What song?"

"Tatl!" Zelda said, frustrated, "_Shut up_!"

Kylia bowed her head so they wouldn't see her grinning.

"Because I used to think it was a load of crap," Darmani said bluntly. "Only now I know better."

"Right," said Link, "So the thing is we need to learn the song, so how do we do that?"

"What song?"

"_Tatl, I'm going to murder you if you don't be quiet!_" Zelda shouted, and Kylia began to shake with silent laughter.

"My brother Twitch knows it," Darmani said, somewhat reluctantly. He and Link were completely ignoring everyone but each other.

"You know, it isn't my fault Greeny hears voices in his head, and I don't hear what they're saying—"

"Well, you could be patient, I'm sure he'll tell us in a second—"

"Guys," Kylia interjected loudly, still laughing. "_Shut up._"

"I suppose," Darmani continued, "You could pretend to be me to get the song—just once..."

"Oh, cool!" Link exclaimed.

"What's cool?"

Zelda shot a glare at Tatl, and held up a glowing hand. Tatl immediately silenced.

"What's with that?" Kylia asked Zelda while Link continued to talk to himself.

"My death spell," Zelda said, rather pointedly.

"You don't have a death spell," Kylia said, staring. "Do you?"

"Of _course_ I do," Zelda hissed. Kylia started to laugh again.

"Liar, that's a trick to see in the dark," Kylia choked. "Tatl, don't tell me you _fell_ for that."

"Take your own advice and shove it," Tatl snapped. Zelda and Tatl started arguing loudly, and Kylia tried to break it up, but failed miserably. She gave up after a little while and tried to focus on Link's one-sided conversation.

"So," Link asked Darmani, pretending to be completely oblivious to his bickering companions, "Where can we find Twitch?"

"In the Goron Shrine," Darmani said reluctantly, "But, you can't act like me very well."

Link scowled. "You take control then."

"Do what?"

"Take control! It's when you use the body instead of me. I did it with Daeken—he's a Deku Scrub—we had to fuse like this too."

"I didn't know I could do that," Darmani said, and he did take control—Link's Goron legs started walking of their own accord towards the Goron Village.

"Link?" Tatl asked, as she and the others took off to catch up with him. "Where are you going?"

"Darmani took control," Link explained. He still found it weird to have a Goron's voice. "He's gonna take us to the Shrine and learn the song we use to get into Snowhead."

While they walked, Link explained about the legend he had been told about, including the rest of the conversation his companions hadn't been able to hear.

"Goron giants, huh?" Tatl mused. "You know, that sounds like that load of crap Esmeralda fed us about the Deku King."

"You saw the Deku King," Zelda said. "Or something..."

"What are they talking about?" Darmani asked Link. Link, to avoid further complications with Tatl silently explained about their adventures so far—being linked with Darmani's mind, it didn't take very long, and by the time he had gotten to the point where they had discovered the swamp had been drawn into the time traveling cycle, they had reached the village. By the time he had gotten to the point where they met up with the ghostly Goron, they were at the Shrine.

"Tell them to come just inside and wait at the door," Darmani said to Link, who repeated the instructions obediently. His companions followed, all eager and grateful to get out of the snow and wind.

_Okay,_ Link thought to Darmani once inside. _You've got control. Go for it._

Darmani crept up a great stone ramp, and now small murmurs and sobs could be heard from a large room at the top of a short flight of stairs. Darmani checked to see if anyone was around, then entered the bedroom.

Inside, on a slab of stone, was a tiny Goron that barely reached up to Darmani's knees. He was asleep, but only just. He was crying in his sleep rather fretfully, and Link, connected to Darmani's mind, felt exactly what Darmani felt: a horrible pang of sadness, as if his heart wanted to break into two.

Darmani walked up to the little Goron slowly, and shook him awake.

"Twitch," he murmured. "Twitch—wake up...it's Darmani...I have to ask you something..."

"Darmi?" muttered Twitch, opening his eyes. "Whatcha need?" he asked sleepily.

"I need you to sing me the song that—that Daddy used to sing to you, to put you to sleep..."

Link again felt a sharp rip of pain in his heart that he knew had come from Darmani.

"Oh...okay..."

Slowly, and very softly, Twitch hummed the lullaby. Link strained his ears, intent on not missing it. Normally, if he could hear a song played once, he could repeat it almost exactly the same the first time around.

"Once more," Darmani requested. Twitch, sleepily, hummed the lullaby again.

"Will you play it for me? Just once, like Daddy does?"

Darmani crouched and looked beneath the slab of stone and pulled out Twitch's set of Goron bongos. He tapped out the melody twice, but before he had finished the third time, Twitch was fast asleep. Darmani put the drums back on a high shelf and exited.

"He won't remember this when he wakes up," Darmani told Link on their way out. "when he's half asleep like that. He never does."

Just as Link took control back and exited the Shrine with Zelda, Tatl, and Kylia, a Goron came into Twitch's room to check on him. Twitch was sleeping peacefully, but woke up when the Goron walked in.

"Darmi came!" he told the Goron. "He came and played me to sleep with my drums."

"No he didn't," the Goron said sadly. "You were only dreaming, Twitch."

The Goron rocked Twitch back to sleep, and it was only as he was leaving that he noticed Twitch's set of drums, which were on a shelf far too high for the little Goron to reach by himself. The Goron looked back at Twitch with a sense of wonder, then, realizing his hopes were stupid, he shook his head, and departed.

X

Link stumped up the path to Snowhead with great difficulty. He was a lot heavier, and it was a lot harder to climb. He was growing tired fast, but knew from far too much experience he'd need energy at fighting the monsters in the temple that lay beyond.

_Do you mind if I take this mask off for awhile?_ Link thought at Darmani. _I'm not used to being so heavy. I'll put it back on when we get there, but..._

"Not at all," Darmani replied, and, with a sigh of relief, Link turned back into a Hylian. He had now experienced life in three bodies, and knew which he preferred—being a Hylian was by far the best, closely followed by Deku—but Gorons came in dead last. Then again, he reasoned, he hadn't thought being a Deku was great, either, until Daeken showed the things Dekus could do that Hylians could not. He couldn't think of anything Gorons might be able to do that humans couldn't—but who knew?

Eagerly, he put the mask back on, and conveyed these thoughts to Darmani, who responded at once.

"Gorons can do one _really_ good thing that humans—or Hylians, if you prefer—can't."

_Show me,_ Link thought eagerly.

At once, he felt Darmani take control.

"Be right back," Darmani told their companions, and then, surprising Link greatly, he crouched down on the ground and curled into a ball. And, as if that hadn't been surprising enough, he started to roll, over and over, without moving from the spot. He rolled faster and faster, becoming a whirl of color, and then shot off down the path, spraying snow everywhere.

Link would have yelled if he could. This was crazy, this was out of control—this was _awesome_. He wasn't even dizzy, despite the fact that he was spinning without stopping and rolling very fast down the path.

They hit a bump in the road and Darmani flew upwards, spinning and spinning in the air, and hit the ground again at an angle. He maneuvered himself around so that he was facing the direction they had come, and again shot off down the path.

He screeched to a halt at Zelda's feet, covering her, Kylia, and Tatl in snow. Link felt the control go back to him and he stood up shakily.

"_Wow—_" Link was stunned and just a tad dizzy from the ride; he put a hand to his forehead, swaying, but grinning dazedly all the same. "Do it again!"

Tatl burst into giggles.

"I should teach _you_ to do it," Darmani said, highly amused. "I can't believe you're not any dizzier than you are. You must have a strong stomach."

Link thought at once of the Shadow Temple, and, immediately, a picture of a rotting corpse flashed through Darmani's own mind.

_Yeah, I do_, Link thought, as Darmani tried to banish the picture from his mind. Can you teach me now? It won't take long!

"Fine," Darmani relented.

Link was ecstatic. While Zelda, Kylia, and Tatl kept up their slow walk, he and Darmani practiced rolling, first down the path, then back to their companions. Link got the hang of it within ten minutes and was soon spraying his friends with snow whenever he got near them—something they did not find at all amusing, as all of them were still freezing (Link, having a Goron's tough skin, could hardly feel the cold).

They reached the place where Darmani had stood just before the avalanche rather quickly. If Darmani had been in control, he would have shivered. Nevertheless, Link felt his repulsion. He pretended not to notice, and instead squinted through the wind. Sure enough, it all seemed to be coming from the same spot.

"I wish I had the Lens of Truth," Link said. "Then we could see if there really was a giant Goron up there. So, now what?" he added to Darmani, forgetting to say it silently. "Oh, right, the song," he answered himself. "Oy, Zel, toss me the ocarina."

"An ocarina?" Darmani said doubtfully. "It wouldn't play with all the wind out here, and anyway I don't think a Goron is very well suited to play something that small and delicate..."

_Of course not,_ Link said, remembering just in time to use thoughts. _You _did_ own a set of Goron drums, right?_

"Well, yes," Darmani said, "but I don't see how..."

"Watch this," Link said out loud, so that his friends would hear him as well. He took the Ocarina of Time from Zelda's hands and it changed smoothly into a set of drums—the same set of drums, moreover, that Darmani owned.

_I'm not any good at all with drums,_ Link thought at Darmani. _You do it._

Darmani took control, and pounded out the melody that would supposedly put nay Goron to sleep on the spot: the Goron Lullaby. If Darmani himself had not been sharing a body with Link, he might have fallen asleep upon hearing it, but as it was, he instead stayed wide-awake, and watched in awe and wonder as the wind slowed to almost nothing, then stopped altogether.

"Wow," said Tatl into the sudden stillness. Now that the wind was gone, the place seemed almost completely silent.

Wordlessly, Darmani again started walking up the path that led to the temple. This time, he would not fall. Link was glad to let him keep the control—he was a little tired from learning to roll.

Zelda and Tatl followed Darmani, and Kylia jogged after them, after re-adjusting her pack.

The pathway was long and winding, going up, up, up, to a tall tower made of rock. Though the wind had stopped completely, the snow was still falling heavily, and it was hard to see though all the whiteness.

"Pity," Kylia remarked. "I really wanted a picture."

It wasn't until they reached the tall tower that they realized the entrance was at least fifty feet above them. They would have to journey up another long winding, icy path to get to the door, and this path was much more narrow and slippery than the one before it.

"I'll have to take this off, or I'll fall," Link said aloud. He reached upwards with his fingers and the mask slipped off easily. He tossed it to Kylia, who studied it a moment, then put it in the pack.

"I'm freezing, let's hurry up," she said. She turned to go up the path of ice, but she did a double take and looked back around at Link.

"Behind you!" she screamed at Link and Zelda, pointing, and the pair turned to find over a dozen snarling white wolfos, white coats gleaming and orange eyes glowing menacingly, staring them in the face.

"Oh, _shit_."

**AN: **Somewhat of a cliffie...but not really. And, it's kinda short. But it IS there, and that's what counted, at least in my eyes. Like I said, I am HUGELY sorry about the wait. I won't do ti again if I can help it! Now, review responses, the quick ones, cause my mom is trying to force me off the comp.

**serenitythefaierikin:** In response to the last question—oh HELL yes.  
**Hikari no Purinsesu** ah c'mon! I wanna know who you think it is! Regardless...I'm glad you likee. Lol, peace out. (holds up two fingers in a peace symbol)

**zeldafreak319** Wow, thanks for the compliment! n.n

**Miss Penny** Hey, I love slash. I'm gonna read it, definitely! It might take me awhile cause of crap going on, but I WILL read it. n.n Good luck with that!

**T-bone:** Meh, it IS short. I normally try to do 5,000 words but lately I almost never get there...

**DiscoDude7** Hey, no one said I was smart. But, just so you know, you are waaaay off. Hehe. Actually, that's probably why I didn't guess who you were thinking of...

**Chocopop:** Sheik is a Shekiah, so of course he can do loads of magic! And, about the cloaked lady, you will get hints, several big ones, throughout the story, enough so that it's almost obvious but you can't be really sure. But, I'm not revealing her identity in this story...it'll come in a later story. I have them planned out through about six or seven, and she's revealed right at the end. I hope I can think up a better disguise before then... -.-

**RRT:** Hehe, you have no IDEA how much fun I plan to have on that one.

**Greki** Thanks much! n.n

**Blowfish the Monkey Tamer**You really thought that was funny? I kinda found it not so good. ;-; I'm glad you liked it though. n.n And, science is a pain in the ass. Your mom sounds a lot like mine... -.- (Though, by now, you've probably finished the project and turned it in...what grade did you get?) Heh, I was hoping the last bit would throw people off! And, thankies for the long review. Makes meh happy. n.n Peace out!

**ooka-chan** Meh, I DID update...but it took so long...sorry!

**Zero Quickblade** Wow, thank you, I am flattered!

**Kaylina the Gerudo** Wow, thankies! n.n

**The Sagittarius Sage**Meh, you're only the second person to talk about names. And, hey, you got a g-cube! AWESOME! I can't wait till you finish the games! Good luck with that—hope you get more free time soon, too. Being busy is a pain.

Okay, well, that's that. Before I go, I'd like to say that my computer was broken and it left me unable to login to because it sucks. So, Rykua Rayne Torikana posted the chapters for me tonight. THANK YOU! You guys should read his stories. Definitely. They rock. And, also, if I missed anyone in the responses, please fuss at me. I had to do this in a hurry! Okay, I'm gonna go now. Goodbye, and PLEASE! Leave a review!


	24. Chapter TwentyThree: Link Needs A Raise

**Author's Notes:** Wow. Like, hi. Lol, um, yeah, I know it's been awhile. Sorry bout that. I'm still not outta Snowhead in this chapter, but I'm working on it. Goddammit, I HATE Snowhead! (grumbles)

Anyways, You should probably have a warning before you read this. Several of them. First one: I fucking hated snowhead. I still do. So the damn temples won't be much alike. Thus, I am making all but a precious few rooms up, all by myself! n.n (childish squee of delight)

**Readers:** Oh no, we're screwed...

Second warning. This contains large amounts of slightly angsty ZeLink fluff near the end. Why? I felt like it. Actually, it's the fact that I wanted a Tidus-Yuna "if you need me whistle" thing for Link and Zel to use in future stories. But of course I couldn't use whistling cause that's their thing. (If you don't understand that reference, play Final Fantasy X, it's a damn good game. Or at least look up on the net.)

So now that that's out of the way, I can post this slightly long chapter that STILL isn't out of Snowhead yet. Have I mentioned I hated Snowhead? The only fun thing is the boss, cause you get to do the Goron roll thingy... n.n

I'd also like to draw your attention away from this piece of crap (it's, er, _interesting_ (weird) at times, I'll give you that, but still crap) for a moment to inform you of a much more worthy Zelda fic"Fairy Tales," by Blowfish the Monkey Tamer. It's really cool, I adored it, and and it's awesome so go read it. Right now. Well, maybe after you read this. Or you could go read it now and come back and read this. Your choice. Actually, you should go read all of Blowfish's stuff, unless you have no clue what Teen Titans is. If that's the case, get out of the rock you're hiding under, please, for your own sake...

One more thing. Several folks are scanning chapters for "mysterious figure" hints. o.o Dude. Already? You'll be pleased to know that she's in a little of this chapter an probably in a lot of the next one. Anybody got a better idea for a disguise than a cloak? I mean, it's nice and it probably keeps her warm when she's in a place like Snowhead (God, I hate Snowhead, you have no idea how much I hate Snowhead) but I did that bit already, ya know?

Well, I'll shut my trap and quit rambling now, here is teh chapter!

Chapter Twenty-Three: Link Really Needs A Raise

Wolfos were not a problem for Link, nor were they a problem for Kylia. They weren't even a very big threat to Zelda. (Tatl could always dive into someone's pocket.)

No, the problem here was that there were about twenty wolfos, and their growls were attracting the ones in the rest of the clan, so that, even as they watched, the twenty became twenty-five, then thirty...

Link wasn't very fond of wolfos. They had ravaged the Forest Temple, chased him and Saria during their youth, and once, one had mangled his shield arm, when he was without a shield to protect it. (Link was sure that arm was jinxed—after that he had had it mangled yet again by Phantom Ganon, broken it by falling off of Death Mountain, gotten it cut and scraped by a shadow beast that lived in the Water Temple, nearly had it cut off again by Kylia while she was under the control of Koume and Kotake, and gotten it burned by Koume herself.) Now, however, Link's dislike of the creatures had grown with each one that appeared in front of them. The wolfos were growling and snarling, preparing to attack. Link and Kylia drew their weapons and Zelda cleared her mind so she could do magic.

"We are _so_ dead," said Tatl.

She flew into Kylia's pack just as they attacked.

Before Kylia or Link could attack back, however, Zelda had thrown up her shield, separating the wolfos from themselves.

"You can't take them all on," she said. "Nobody's that good. We'd need an army to stop them."

"What do you suggest we do, then?" Link asked darkly, gripping the Master Sword.

Zelda opened her mouth to reply but was cut off when the wolfos charged at the shield, weakening it a good deal. She winced.

"Are you okay?" Link asked concernedly.

Again, just as she started to speak, the wolfos charged. This time the shield shattered. Zelda fell to the ground and Link swore, but she came up fighting, shooting magic out of her hands and stunning everything she could reach. Kylia and Link backed against her, so that they were in a three person circle. Link blocked an attack with the Master Sword, then came back by kicking the offending wolfos in the face. Kylia was doing similarly well; she put both scimitars in the ground and used them to hoist herself up into doing a kind of back flip, as though she were doing gymnastics—what she actually accomplished was kicking several of the wolfos back into the crowd.

But in the end, there were too many to handle. Zelda was the first to be knocked unconscious; Link laid her between himself and Kylia for her own protection. Kylia, though she was a better fighter than Link, was the second to go. She fell on her side, and the pack on her back spilled open. Rope, masks, ocarina, and Tatl, also out of it, came sailing out. Link looked down at Kylia in horror—he'd be next—but then spied the mask, his ticket to becoming a Goron.

It was worth a shot. Gorons, he knew, had their own ways of fighting, just as Deku Scrubs and humans did. He put on the mask, and, the instant his mind connected with Darmani's, Darmani registered the situation and took control.

Darmani first lashed out with a powerful punch that knocked a white wolfos right over the edge of a cliff. Link immediately took the control back and tried it for himself—he'd been right. Gorons were _powerful_.

He swung his fist upward at the next wolfos, being silently cheered on by Darmani, and it went flying. Darmani then took control back—he and Link were able to switch seamlessly by this point—and curled into a ball again. He pushed up with his arms and legs, rose up into the air, and came back down with a deafening crash. All the wolfos were knocked off of their feet. Link took back control, rolled up into the ball again, and tried it for himself.

BOOM.

Once again, the wolfos fell back.

Link started to roll. He rolled around and around the remaining wolfos—which weren't much—and covered them in snow. While they shook the snow out of their eyes, he attacked, full force, silently thanking Darmani for the fighting lesson.

All of the wolfos were dead or out cold in two more minutes.

Link hurriedly thanked Darmani and pulled off the mask, kneeling in the snow next to his fallen friends. Kylia looked okay; she had merely been knocked out, and Tatl was now yelling in her ear to wake her up. Zelda, however, was a different story. Link hadn't noticed it before, but now he saw that she had several gashes on her right shoulder from he claws and teeth of the wolfos. Her breathing was pretty shallow, and there was also blood in her hair. Link saw on closer inspection that she also had a small but fairly deep cut above her left eye.

"Dammit," he muttered, as Kylia sat up.

Kylia blinked. "What happened? How'd you manage to fight them all off?"

"Goron powers," Link said shortly, then motioned to Zelda. "She's a lot worse off than we thought. And we can't heal her...no healing magic."

Kylia, concerned, walked to Zelda's side and felt for a pulse. While she and Link debated in low murmurs what to do about her condition, Tatl looked around the snowy area. She could see their footprints and the paw prints of the many wolfos, left from the battle, in the snow, but even as she watched, the snow, falling thick and fast, obscured the prints. She sighed. She was starting to agree with Link—snow was a lot of trouble, unless you were playing in it.

And then something quite astonishing happened. She saw more footprints. They appeared on their own, as if someone invisible was walking toward them. She wanted to call out to her companions, but her voice seemed to be stuck in her throat. She watched as the footprints stopped, and then, appearing out of what seemed to be thin air, a bottle of some red liquid floated down from a two foot height and landed gently in the snow.

And at the sound of the bottle hitting the ground, Link and Kylia looked up.

"What the—?"

Link frowned, and walked over to the bottle. Then he noticed the footprints. They led right up to the bottle, but no footprints led away from it. So, if there had been an invisible person there, they'd still be there.

Warily, Link approached the spot and waved his arm in the space where the invisible person had been. But his arm came in contact with nothing, grabbed no unseen spy, just waved through the cold snowy air harmlessly.

"That," he said decidedly, staring at the footprints, which had been cut off without any sign of them retreating, "was way weird."

"Yeah," said Tatl, unsticking her voice. "You should feed that stuff to Princess Brat over there," she added. "It'll help her."

"Her name is Zelda," Link corrected fiercely, but he picked up the bottle and tended to Zelda's wounds all the same.

Ten minutes later they were all freezing and Zelda was awake and able to walk, so the walked up the winding path to the temple, talking quietly about what they had seen. What they didn't notice was after they entered the temple, a woman in a cloak, with the hood down, appeared where the footprints were and breathed a tiny sigh of relief. She had had to lean backwards when Link swiped his arm at her, and it had been a very near miss.

"That," she said, looking up at the gray sky, which was becoming rather dark now that it was nearing sunset, "was _really_ close."

And, turning invisible once more, she started walking again, her footprints wound up the icy path and into the temple after them.

x-x-x

"It's weird," Link chatted to Zelda, Kylia, and Tatl as they entered the temple. "I mean with Daeken, he hardly ever took control. But me and Darmani switch all the time. Without even thinking about it."

"Makes sense," Zelda said, "After all, they are two entirely different people."

"None of it makes sense," Link muttered, still thinking of the bottle of red liquid that had probably saved Zelda's life. "Nothing ever does."

They were in a small, very cold room. Icicles hung from the ceiling, and grew up from the floor. Behind one set of the ones growing upwards was a large boulder. There weren't any other doors.

"Just like Woodfall!" Link noted excitedly. "Humans can't do crap in these temples..."

"Oh, joy," Zelda said flatly, as Link rummaged around in Kylia's pack to search for the Goron mask. He found it and quickly donned it. In a flash, he was Darmani again, breaking chunks of ice out of his way, and then reducing the boulder that blocked their path to gravel.

"So," Link the Goron said cheerfully, "now that we can get by..."

He led the way into the second room. Just because of their luck, it held three things: a very rickety rope bridge, a pit of lava, and, an exit—on the other side of the rope bridge.

"This should be fun," Zelda grumbled. "Last time I was on one of these—"

"I had to save your skin," Link said fondly. He remembered that—there'd been a missing plank, and she had tried to jump but wound up falling through and nearly going all the way down before he'd caught her hand. "Trust me, I won't be having any fun either." This was true—Link _hated_ heights.

Zelda did a mock-scowl in his direction as he took off the mask—a Goron would be much too heavy to cross that bridge.

"Don't worry," Link laughed, taking her hand. "I'll be here to catch you if you fall, okay?"

"'Kay," said Zelda, smiling.

x-x-x

Still invisible, but hidden in the shadows anyway, she watched Link take Zelda's hand and start walking across the bridge. Kylia followed them, somewhat warily. They were halfway across when it happened.

It happened in one quick flash. She gave an almighty shove; though the freezard did not look solid, it was, and it plummeted down towards the lava, landing right after Link started to fall, and freezing the place it hit. Link landed hard on the cool lava, but other than aches and bruises, he was fine, if a little shaken up.

"What the—?"

Zelda shrugged, eyes wide. She and Kylia began to climb the bridge like a ladder, and Link decided that if he jumped he'd be able to reach the bottom of it. He climbed it slowly, cursing aloud again his stupid fear of heights, and rejoined the others in taking a winding staircase to the next floor. His green figure was the last one she saw retreat upwards.

She gave him a five-second head start and then followed, muttering under her breath, "Honestly, he's giving me gray hairs..."

x-x-x

"I want," Link said slowly, "a raise.

Above them towered infinity. They had climbed the stairs to find themselves in the center of the spiral tower. The room stretched above them so high they couldn't even see the ceiling, and around the room were lots of doors, staircases, and ramps. It was a complicated maze, and, worst of all for Link, it was a tall maze, and he knew the higher he went the more he'd hate it

It was not much better below. It had to go down at least three stories, only to end in a rock-filled lava pit. To make matters worse, all the rocks were very sharp and very long. Around them, there were more doors. They were standing on top of a column, with a strong stone bridge leading to each of the exits on their level.

After a hurried discussion with Darmani that was punctuated with insults and giggling from Tatl, Link confirmed that the thing that made it snow, the weather mechanism, was at the top of the tower guarded by the other Goron Brother—according to the legends. No one actually knew what they would find at the top but everyone agreed that they did need to find that mechanism, or else all the Gorons would die.

So up they went.

It was quite difficult from the minute they started. Several times, all would have been lost if not for Link and his shape shifting powers. As a Goron, he could break away large obstacles, resist any and all heat, and fight even the most powerful beasts on an even level. As a Deku—and they did have need of his ability to become a Deku, for they did find flowers on more than one occasion—he could fly, repel water, and slip through small places to trigger switches to bigger openings.

Though tired (it was in the middle of the night by this time), they were all optimistic; Link was handy when he was limited to the form of a human, but with three different forms at his disposal he was almost unbeatable. Not only that, but they had two extra people, two people other than Tatl (who tended to make wisecracks that made Link angry), to ask advice of, two people who knew Termina and its legends like Link and Zelda knew Hyrule's own tales. Link also shared his firm suspicions that someone was following them around; more than once, they experienced incidents similar to the one at the bridge—unseen help with no explanation whatsoever. It made Link angry, made Tatl scoff, made Zelda nervous, and made Kylia develop a slight headache.

They were about halfway up the tower, in a miniature labyrinth filled with freezards, when it happened.

The maze was lit only by torches that hung on the walls every feet few feet, so it was very dim. It was decorated with nothing except danger; the walls were made out of plain stone, as was the floor, and all the turns were very sharp and angular. Link was in his human form at the moment, and the masks and everything else rested in Kylia's pack. Tatl was hovering around her head and Link and Zelda had joined hands and were following along behind Kylia. She had quicker reflexes than even Link, and had already steered them away from several booby traps.

"I wonder what it's like to have a peaceful life," Zelda said once, after jumping backwards to avoid being split in half by a large axe that dropped from above.

"Don't ask me," Kylia answered, "I don't even know what it's like to _know_ someone with a peaceful life."

Everyone laughed somewhat nervously; the maze had them all feeling slightly tense, and it had been a long day.

"Except maybe Johan, except he's so weird it doesn't even count in the first place," Kylia added. Link sighed and Zelda squeezed his hand. He missed Johan, really missed him, and she knew he did and wanted to help.

"You know," Link remarked several minutes later, after a small explosion had caved in some of the roof above them, "I think it's pretty lucky we've all been fighting a lot—not all our lives but close—cause it means we got good reflexes."

"Yeah," Kylia agreed listlessly, moving a few pieces of rubble aside with her foot.

They continued on for another fifteen minutes, quickly becoming bored. Link argued with Kylia about who the better swordsman ("Swords_person_," Kylia interjected angrily) was, and, when they finally agreed on the fact that it wasn't Link, he argued with her about why she wouldn't fight him just to see.

Though Kylia had excellent reflexes, she could not argue with Link and still be up to her usual standards, no matter what the situation—Link had that effect on people. So it was that he stepped on a cracked bit of floor she would have normally seen. She managed to jump off before the floor went crashing to the ground, but after on patch had crumbled, the rest of the hall started going with it, and Link and Zelda, though they almost got away in time, were pulled down with the rubble.

x-x-x

Kylia yelled and backed away as the floor began to fall away. She managed to make it to a safe spot in time, but realized with a start of horror that she couldn't see Link or Zelda anywhere.

"You guys!" she yelled. "Where are you? Oh, Tatl, they must have fallen, what if they're d—"

"Chill," Tatl said. "You stay here. I'll fly down and see if they're okay or not."

Kylia stood and tried to get her breathing and heartbeat to slow down. She didn't admit it often, but Zelda and Link, especially the latter, meant a great deal to her.

Tatl, meanwhile, started swearing—mostly to vent—and began the slow flight downwards. The hole was small and rectangular, the size and shape of the hall above it, but the further down she went, the darker it got, and the less her light illuminated. The hole was becoming bigger, opening wide into some kind of den.

_Of course,_ she thought, as the realization hit her._ It's a death trap. A Goron can climb up a straight wall, and a human might even wiggle out if the walls are too close together. I wonder if there's anything awful down here...?_

Tatl called her findings up to Kylia, who shouted back to keep looking for Link and Zelda. Tatl kept floating down, and eventually she did find the floor, with both Link and Zelda lying on it.

"Kylia!" she yelled. "I found 'em! But...their eyes are closed and they aren't moving."

Silence. Finally, Kylia told Tatl in a strangled voice to check for a pulse and breathing. This Tatl did, and was relieved to find that both were working fine.

"Try to wake them up," Kylia shouted down, weak with relief.

"Okay, hold on..."

Tatl yanked Link's ears and even pushed on his face—nothing worked. After awhile she gave up, and told Kylia so.

"Look around for an exit."

Tatl searched the walls. There was a door, but it only opened in towards the room, and it was purposely built with no handle. To add to that, there was a large chunk of rock in front of it. Tatl sighed and rubbed her eyes, then flew back up to Kylia.

"We'll just have to leave them here and go find that door," Tatl said.

"But when they wake up, won't they think we left them for dead or something? Shouldn't you stay here and tell them what happened?"

"Naw! If they're stupid enough to think that, let them sweat for awhile..."

"If you say so...

x-x-x

It only took Link ten minutes or so to wake up after his fall, but when he did, he discovered that Tatl and Kylia were already gone.

"Damn," he swore. "How could they just leave us?"

Zelda groaned. Link, using what little light he had from the gap above them, managed to work his way over to her and check that she was okay. Other than a couple of bruises, she was fine.

"What—what happened?" she muttered, holding her head with one hand and wincing.

Link helped her sit up. "We fell, remember? I don't see Tatl or Kylia...I guess they left us."

"Really?"

She and Link both yelled for their companions, but no answer came. Link could make out Zelda in the dark, frowning and thinking.

"Let's look around. Maybe there's a way out."

They did look around, and discovered the same handle-less door that Tatl had described to Kylia, along with the rock. Link and Zelda both tried to push the rock out of the way, but to no avail.

"I'm not even sure if I could move it as a Goron," Link admitted, throwing the rock a sour glare.

"I'll bet Tatl and Kylia left to try and find this door," Zelda said. "I hope they'll be here soon...it's kinda cold, and I'm tired."

"Ditto," Link said. He absent-mindedly crossed his arms and rubbed his hands over his shoulders, trying to warm them up.

As the night wore on, and as Link and Zelda stopped pacing and decided to sit down, they grew colder and colder. It hadn't been warm to begin with, only felt that way because they hadn't been out in the wind. Now, however, in this hole, with only one exit for heat to go in and out of, when it was dark and getting darker and they weren't moving much, it was slowly becoming as cold as it had been outside.

"I'm freezing," Zelda said, finally breaking the silence, her teeth chattering. She was sitting on a piece of rubble that had rolled away from the hole and near the door next to where the huge rock and the exit had been. Link dragged another rock next to hers and sat on it. He took her hand. It was as cold as his.

"Me too," he admitted. Then, deciding upon a distraction he grinned and said, "So, are you afraid of the dark?"

Zelda smiled. "No."

"Afraid of what you can't see in the dark? Could be rats down here..."

"Link, I'm not scared of rats. There was a time when Ganondorf was around when Impa and I lived on rats for a solid month—she didn't tell me what they were till after we had found real food again."

Link could have kicked himself. He leaned back against the wall and put his arm around her shoulders.

"Sorry," he said.

Zelda smiled again. "I am, however," she said slowly, "deathly afraid of spiders."

Link grinned again and moved his other hand lightly up her arm.

"It's coming to bite you..."

Zelda laughed and moved his hand away.

"Cut that out!" she said, shaking her head in amusement. Link laughed a moment, then got quiet. They were both running low on energy. After awhile, Zelda laid her head on Link's shoulder and closed her eyes.

"Don't go to sleep, Zel," Link warned her. "It's too cold."

"I know," she murmured, but soon her breathing became deep and even and Link had to wake her up.

"Really, don't," he said earnestly. "You might freeze to death."

Zelda shuddered.

"You don't really think we'll freeze to death, do you?"

"No. I hope not."

The night wore on, and soon, though they didn't know it, midnight came and went. They stayed awake by talking, but their hopes of rescue were dying down fast. They were both hungry, tired, and thirsty.

"They must not be able to find their way in," Link said. "We gotta try to get out of here."

And they did. Link used every weapon on him and Zelda even tried to boost them up to the hole with magic, but it was to no avail. Finally, winded, they sat back on their rock chairs and started talking again. They talked about everyone they knew, about they places they lived and visited, about their families and their homesickness, and wondered what Ganondorf was up to and where Navi and Maclar were now, and, when they ran out of things about the present to talk about, they talked about the past. Link talked about his years in the Kokiri forest, and Zelda talked about the seven years she'd spent hiding from Ganondorf.

"You're pretty lucky," Link told her. "I mean, I know having to live those seven years with Ganondorf must've been awful, but at least you did get to live them."

"You're luckier," Zelda whispered. "You got to sleep through them all. Sometimes I wished I could sleep and never wake up again."

Link, who had his arm around her shoulders, squeezed her gently. "I felt like that when I was little, sometimes, when I didn't have nay friends except Saria. Everyone else was mean to me, and I couldn't see any point in living at all. Mido always pushed me around, when I wasn't big enough to fight back...one time, him and the other kids chased me out of the village...threw rocks at me."

"Why?"

"No fairy. Saria always told me..." Link grinned reluctantly. "She always said I'd get my fairy and it'd be the best one around—and she was right. Not only that, but she also kept saying one day I'd be big enough to shove Mido's sorry butt around. She must be able to tell the future!"

They laughed nervously, too tired to stay awake and too cold to sleep.

"I can't stay awake," Zelda sad, echoing Link's thoughts. "I'm just too tired. I can't do it."

"You have to."

Silence.

"Zel...do you believe in miracles?"

"Yes," Zelda said without hesitation. "I didn't always, but I do now. You should know that. Together, the two of us have seen more miracles than the average person sees in a million lifetimes..."

"That's true," Link murmured. He too was beginning to feel drowsy.

"Do you think we'll die here?" Zelda asked.

"I hope not."

"If we do," Zelda whispered. "If we die...and this is just, in case something ever happens, not just because of right now...I want you to know something."

"Yeah?"

"You're my miracle," Zelda said. "You helped me when we were little and then you came back when I thought I'd be alone and in the dark forever, and—and you helped me get the world back. And I love you. You're the reason I believe in miracles. It was a miracle I met you. It was a miracle we got together like this. And I'd rather die here than to have never known you. I just hope you know that."

She moved closer to him, trying to get warm. He smiled.

"I'm glad you told me." He paused. He wasn't so great with words at times like these. "I guess if we die you oughta know I feel the same way. I mean I think you're beautiful and awesome and I'd die for you if I had to—you know that. Know what else?"

"What?"

"You're a miracle all your own. And I love you too."

They sat in silence a little while longer.

"Does this mean we've given up?" Zelda asked. "We sit here and wait to die?"

"No," Link said. "It...I dunno."

"I'm going to go to sleep."

"_No,_" said Link, frightened. "Don't. You won't wake up. I might not even be able to wake you up. You can't."

"I'm tired."

"Me too. Look, just stay awake for me, okay?"

"I'll try."

She closed her eyes, if only to rest them for a second. Then the fatigue took over and she dozed lightly, so lightly Link didn't notice, and he squeezed her hand one time before shutting his own eyes...

**AN:** Meh. I told you, it was a bit over-fluffy and angsty. But I accomplished my goals. And it was fun to write. Gosh, I hope none of the MaLink shippers want to burn me at stake... XD And yes, I know it was a slight cliffie. Deal. I like cliffies. (Writing them, anyways, I can't stand reading them...)

Kay, reveiw responses, and then I'm off. To write more fucking Snowhead. Man, I HATE Snowhead!

**serenitythefaierikin:** Oh, if only you knew what a riot I plan on having with Zora Link. Sadly, it's gonna be a long time till I get there, much less get out of Snowhead...dammit, I HATE Snowhead!  
**Link SSB and Yu-Gi-Oh-Fan:** Thanks for the compliment. n.n  
**DiscoDude7:** Hm, no, it isn't who you think it is and I didn't think you thought it was three people. So...hm...bastardizing twist...new OC...bit of both, really. XD And yeah, he was supposed to act like he was on crack. That's what I was going for. But the term "like he's on crack" didn't pop up into my head. :p  
**H****ikari no Purinsesu:** There you have it, Goron Pound! Kinda weird, and not very funny, sorry. I'll try to be funny neext time? n.n;  
**ReDeadphobia:** Dude, Zoras pwn. Ah, yeah, you're gonna love that, the Zora thingy, I mean. And no, Zelda has no death spell. She made her hands glow in the dark to trick Tatl into thinking it was the start of a death spell, so she'd have some means of control. But Kylia Blew her cover. Poor Zel.   
**Miss Penny:** Dying? Please don't! Have an update! ...oh, wait, you already read it. n.n; This chap was at least longer than the last one, though...I'll try to be quicker next time!   
**Blowfish the Monkey Tamer:** No, no, you're not talking out of your ass or you'd have to wear a bowtie on your butt. (Props if you know what movie that's from.) And yeah, Shekiah DO have bad luck. T.T; I'm glad you liked it. And you finally started a Zelda story! Yay! Man, you worried over three on-going stories...I have like seven that I can think of off the top of my head, plus several that aren't even on here yet...   
**Chocopop:** First of all, I loved the new Zelda trailer. Secondly, you'll have your mysterious figure hints, dun worry! Lol, I'm glad you liked the chap and I'll do ym best to be quicker from now on.   
**Greki:** Heh, thanks! n.n

De-duh-de-duh-de-de-de-dat's all, folks! Yes, kill me. My Porky Pig impressions suck. Please, please, pleasPLEASE leave me a reveiw, if you're feeling kind. I'll love you forever and ever. n.n Byes, guys. Btw, did I mention I HATE Snowhead? No? I'll tell you then:

**I _HATE_ SNOWHEAD!**

Hehe, bye.


	25. Chapter TwentyFour: Remember Who You Are

**Author's Notes: **Yes, this chapter is mega-short. Only about 2,500 words, if that much. Get over it, I'm major busy with major block. God, I hate Snowhead. Anyways, though this chapter is short, it has major hints at the end, yay! n.n

I hope you all enjoy this. Unfortunately, I'm not out of Snowhead yet, ain't got to Goht either. Damn, I HATE Snowhead. Oh well. Have fun, see ya at the end!

Chapter Twenty-Four: Remember Who You Are

But even as Link and Zelda gave up hope, rescue was on its way.

Kylia and Tatl quickly wound their way down several stories of stairs, hoping to find the tunnel that connected to Link and Zelda's prison. The stairs, to their surprise, were covered in snow, as if it had snowed inside, too. But that wasn't possible—was it?

What they didn't know was that the temple itself changed with the seasons. Come spring, the snow always melted, forming a lake instead of the deep ravine they had perched over. Some of the walls and floors were made of snow or ice in the temple, and they too would melt when it grew warm. Whenever the temple shook—and they did not know why, but it shook often—some snow would be shaken loose and fall to the stairs at their feet.

"I hate this stupid place," Tatl grumbled as they raced down the staircases. "It's freakin' cold."

Kylia grinned, despite the fact that she too was freezing.

"I've been colder," she said, several different memories coming to mind at once.

"When?"

"Well, there was the time I was four, and met Johan. I nearly died of the cold I got."

"Tell me about it," begged Tatl. So Kylia did.

"I thought someone who lived in the desert wouldn't ever get cold," Tatl said. "Course, the Gerudo around here don't live in a desert. There is no desert here."

Kylia screeched to a stop on her way down the stairs and nearly slipped. She held onto the wall for support and was showered with snow. She shook it off and stared at Tatl, thunderstruck.

"There are _Gerudo_ here?" she asked, curiously.

"Yep, they're pirates," said Tatl, and Kylia grimaced, knowing the Gerudo here would be just as misunderstood as the ones back home. She started walking again, her breath making little clouds in the air.

They continued down the stairs, then came upon a room with pools of lava in it. Skulls erupted from the pool—they looked similar to the bubbles they had fought in Termina Field on their first trip to the swamp, except they were glowing orange with fire. The first time one came at Kylia, she hadn't been expecting it, and was taken by surprise. She shrieked and held her sword up, blunt side facing the skull, and the skull hit it and bounced off, no longer glowing. It didn't take Kylia long to regain her wits and take it out.

They discovered a hole in floor when Kylia stepped on it, and fell perhaps two feet into another pathway with a staircase. This pathway was dark, and Tatl was the only light. As it was dark, it seemed even colder in this staircase than it had been previously, and Kylia rubbed her arms furiously, trying to warm herself.

"We're pretty lucky we have you around," Kylia admitted to Tatl. "With a fairy, you always have light."

Tat grinned.

"Finally, someone appreciates my talents!" she said. "That's why fairies are never in the dark. We're too cheerful to let stuff get us down. Man, I can't wait to find Tael again. I wonder if he's okay," she added sadly.

Kylia smiled. "I'm sure he'll be fine—with Navi with him, he'll stay safe."

"If I recall, Navi's the one trapped in the glass bottle."

"Navi's pretty tough. She's gotten out of stickier situations. Never out of a bottle, but the very least she'll do is keep Tael's courage up. Navi's pretty brave herself."

"I hope so," said Tatl, circling around Kylia's head. "I just worry about him. He's not too good at standing up to Maclar—I was always the one good at that. Of course, me and my stupid self never bothered."

'Hold still," Kylia cried. "I nearly missed a step!"

"Oh, quit whining. Hey, are we there yet?"

"No."

"What about now?"

"No."

"Now?"

"Don't think I won't put you in a bottle. I have one in my pack."

"I'll take that as a no."

They walked awhile longer in silence. Then Kylia grabbed ahold of the wall, yelping in surprise.

"What?" Tatl asked.

"Look at the floor," Kylia said, leaning down. Tatl looked. The stairs stopped, falling into a deep abyss. Tatl flew down to check it, and came back up with a weaker light than normal.

"Spikes," she reported. "Big ones. Natural, made of rock. A few skeletons."

Kylia began swearing, and Tatl joined her. After they finished, Kylia retraced her steps, feeling the walls for anything that might help them. she was tired, cold, and worried about her friends, and so didn't notice at first when her fingers left the wall. Then it clicked.

"Hey!" she said to Tatl. "I found an opening, look!"

The opening led into a larger room, completely empty, that had a small hallway leading to another door. This door, though it had no handle, pushed open a tiny crack. Tatl couldn't even slip through it, but Kylia was sure it was the door that led to Link and Zelda.

"It won't come open," Kylia muttered, swearing. "Tatl, didn't you say there was a boulder in front of it?"

"Yep."

"Great. Now what?"

"Maybe," said a quiet voice from behind them, causing them to jump, "Two people pushing could open it wide enough for you to slip through and wake up your friends."

Kylia whirled around, but she couldn't see much beyond Tatl's light.

"Who's there?" Tatl asked.

A figure, barely visible, stepped out of the shadows. The person was wearing a hood that covered their face, and shied away from Tatl's light.

"I'm going to help you push the door, Kylia," the person said. She was female. "I think you'll be able to squeeze through and wake up Link. He can break the rock, when he's in his Goron form."

"But, who are...?" Kylia paused. "Do I know you?" she asked suddenly. She frowned, trying to remember. "I'm so sure that I've...that I've heard your voice before..."

The woman tilted her head.

"We'll have to discuss it later," she said finally. "C'mon, help me get this door open."

Then she did a curious thing. She looked upward, and muttered, "I need strength."

And it clicked.

"You're the voice in Link's head!" Kylia said. "You're real!"

"So he's _not_ nuts!" Tatl said, pretending to be shocked.

"Who _are_ you?" Kylia asked, thunderstruck.

"Link's freezing to death in there," the woman said fiercely. "Help me open the door."

Kylia tried to stare the woman down, but it was impossible, when she couldn't see her eyes.

"Fine," she relented. "If only to save his life."

So they pushed. With the woman beside her, Kylia felt the door budge, a little at first, and then a lot more. How had the woman managed to obtain enough strength to move the boulder that far?

"Quick, get in," the woman panted.

Kylia saw that the crack was wide enough, and she and Tatl slipped through it into the room beyond. The door slammed closed behind them, leaving them in almost total darkness.

"Link?" Kylia called softly. "Zelda?"

Tatl flew over to the spot where they had fallen. She didn't see anything.

"Kylia, you don't think—?"

"No."

"But—"

"They're here somewhere. Asleep...probably asleep."

Kylia turned, and then she saw them. She could just make out Link and Zelda in the darkness, sitting as still as statues in each other's arms. Their eyes were closed and their skin was pale. Kylia's eyes grew wide, and she and Tatl rushed over to them.

"Check and see if they're breathing," Kylia said, trying to shake them awake. They were sleeping. They were sleeping, was all.

"They are," Tatl said, and relief spread through Kylia. She shook Zelda's arm again.

"Zelda, wake up," she said loudly. Zelda's eyelids fluttered, and she groaned softly. Then she sat bolt upright.

"Oh, no! I fell asl—"

She saw Kylia, then looked over at Link, who hadn't moved yet. She shook his arm desperately.

"Link, wake up—Kylia, help me—wake up, Link!"

Link awoke much in the same fashion that Zelda did, and when he saw that everyone was okay, relief overtook him and he sank weakly back down on the boulder.

For a moment, they all talked at once; they swapped stories about what happened to them and tried to laugh over the misunderstanding. And then Kylia told Link and Zelda of the woman who had helped her get in.

"You knew her?" Zelda asked, frowning.

"I think so," Kylia answered. "But that's impossible, isn't it? She couldn't be human, not if she managed to help me move that thing."

"I don't know," Link said slowly. "I sort of felt like I knew her, too, but maybe that's because she's been in my head so long. The whole thing confuses me. Doesn't matter. Either we will figure her out or we won't. I'm just peeved she stole Johan's idea for a disguise."

He laughed, stood up and stretched, and then asked Kylia for her pack. She tossed it to him, and he rummaged around in it for the Goron Mask. When he found it, he looked at them and gave them his grin.

"Time to do a little remodeling," he said, jerking his head at the boulder that blocked their way out, and without further comment, donned the Goron Mask. He looked at it doubtfully, sizing it up, remembering his words when he and Zelda had first woken up: _I'm not even sure if I could move it as a Goron._

He relayed what had happened to Darmani in a mere instant, for their minds were connected and he didn't need to use words. Darmani also sized up the rock, and, after a considerable amount of time, told Link that if they combined their strength into the one form they'd be able to break it.

_You mean, _Link thought, _I take control and you take control at the same time and we get twice as strong?_

"Should work," Darmani said. "Can't hurt to try."

"Okay," Link told his friends, "Stand back."

He swung at the rock with all of his strength, but what felt so strange was that Darmani did it with him. Together, they punched the rock so hard it crumbled like cake with one swing.

"_Shiiit!_" Link howled. His companions snapped their gaze towards him, alarmed. "My fucking _hand_!" Link explained, wincing. "Goddammit! That _hurt_!"

Only Kylia managed to keep a straight face.

"Is it cut?" she asked, coming over to examine his Goron hand.

"Just a little," Link lied, noting dully that it had been his shield arm he had punched with and deciding he was going to be one-armed by the time he was twenty. He took off the mask, bandaged his hand, and put it back on. Then he forced his way through the door-without-a-handle and into the dark hallway beyond.

"So now what?"

"There was a big room past here," Kylia said. "There may be another way out."

"Oy, Candle, check it out for us," Link said to Tatl.

"'Candle'? Who do you think you are? Go check it out for yourself and if you fall down a hole or something I'll laugh at you."

Link made a face at her and heard Darmani give an inward sigh.

"All right already," he said, more to Darmani than Tatl. "I'm goin'."

Link went.

And, just to scare them, he hid in the shadows, yelled, then stayed silent.

"Holy shit," Tatl said, her eyes growing round. "I killed him!"

Tatl shot into the shadows, saw Link laughing at her, began cussing, looked up, and cussed even more.

Above her was a pathway made of solid ice. It spiraled up and up, far out of her eyesight, glittering in her small light like a trail of stars.

"Would that be our ticket out of here?" Zelda asked.

"Yeah," said Kylia. "But it's so funny...I'm sure it wasn't there before..."

Link rolled his Goron eyes.

"Doesn't matter," he said. "Let's rock."

And he curled up into a ball and sped out of sight, Tatl racing to catch up with him in case he fell. Kylia stared after them a moment, but she didn't really see them, or much of anything, without Tatl's light. She was only broken out of her trance when Zelda lit her hands up the way she did to trick Tatl about the death spell. Her hands glowed a bit more brightly than fairy light, as there wee two of them, and hey were soon on their way.

They could hear Link and Tatl talking to each other above them, already at the top. Every once in awhile Link would call out or roll down to make sure they were okay, and they always were, though very quiet. She was thinking quietly, something she rarely did when there was someone to talk to, to think out loud with. There was nothing to say, only memories to search...

"_Do I know you? I'm so sure that I've...that I've heard your voice before..."_

Kylia shook her head, trying to clear it. After a moment Zelda asked her what was wrong.

"Well," Kylia started, "I'm just so sure that I've met that woman somewhere, and it's really getting under my skin, you know?"

"That makes sense," Zelda reasoned.

Their feet touched stone. They had made it. They could see Link and Tatl in the distance, playing I Spy.

"Look, there is nothing pink in here!" Tatl's voice, despite being fairy-sized, echoed around the room loud and clear.

"Yes there is!"

"What? I give up."

"Zelda!" Link cried happily, and pointed in her direction. Tatl glared. "She isn't pink, she's _wearing_ pink! And she wasn't even here!"

"Doesn't matter, we're here, so you can cut it out," Kylia said, half-grinning. Her smile faded, and her brow furrowed. "What's _that_?"

"Dunno," Link said, squinting, "Looks like a ladder t'me."

Indeed it was.

Just then, the whole temple rumbled yet again, but they were so close now to the top that it felt harder than before. A shaft of ice-blue light appeared at the ladder—a piece of debris had knocked loose, giving everyone enough light to see to climb.

"There's something up there," Link said. "I _know_ it's up there, and I don't think it's too happy."

Zelda sighed and shifted nervously. He was right. There was something_ very_ not good up there.

She watched as Link moved his hands up and pulled the Goron Mask off of his face, and shook out his blonde-with-a-shade-of-red hair. He looked up at the ladder, where the shaft of light was. The icy color reflected in his light blue eyes, making them glitter, and illuminated his features and every hair on his head. It was if he was glowing. He was still without his cap, which Zelda was carrying, so he turned and half-smiled at her and asked for it back. (1) She gave it to him without even blushing. Then she turned to Kylia.

"He is _so_ handsome," she mouthed. Kylia laughed quietly behind one hand, but Link caught it.

"What?" he asked. "Geez, I need some guy friends, I hate it when girls start giggling on me..."

This only served to make everyone giggle harder, even Tatl, though she had no idea what was going on—she just loved to annoy people.

"C'mon," Link said, irritated. "Lessgo. I'll go up first to make sure you _girls_ stay safe."

"Excuse me?" Zelda said indignantly.

"Ignore him, Zelda," Kylia said. Then she called, "Hey blockhead, you wait till I get up there! I'll wring your filthy neck!"

"Hypocrite."

"So? C'mon girl, let's climb."

x-x-x

_High above the clouds  
In a place you cannot see  
Lies love and loss  
The person you can never be_

_Though what you love is gone  
Wish on the brightest star  
You must keep going on  
Remember, hero, who you are..._

_Remember who you are..._

She smiled as she sang the words softly to herself, and pulled her hood down to reveal a mask that covered her from her forehead to the tip of her nose, a pretty dark blue color to match her eyes. Her hair was pulled back tightly, hidden completely by a bandana. She repeated the words once more, then followed Link, Tatl, Zelda, and Kylia up the ladder.

"Remember who you are..."

**AN: **"She" of course being our mystery woman. You should all know by now who she is. If not, SHAME ON YOU! Her mask is like on of those carnival masks, that just cover the top half of your eyes, you know what I'm talking about...? Meh.

By the way, (1) is: Oh my GOD is Link not so sexy or what? This can be Blowfish's makeshift birthday present. XD everyone needs to just imagine, and drool...

Eh well, response time! (By the way, what did you guys think of the lyrics? Wrote 'em myself...)

Wow, like I think fourteen reviews! Wow, wow! Thanks, you guys, God, I love you... (sniff) Sorry, need a minute...

**Greki: **Ack, not much to see this time, unfortunately. Forgive meh. XD  
**ReDeadphobia: **Unfortunately, those are a ways off. I'm planning on covering a few sidequests before moving on to the next bit...meh, but I can't wait either...  
**Miss Penny: **(cries) Oh how I loathe it! Quite welcome. I enjoy updates more than you guys do. And anyways **I SO WANNA FINISH THIS STORY!** I have killer ideas for story number three. Whew...that felt good to get off my chest. Heh. n.n;  
**serenitythefaierikin:** Dude! I'm so glad people love angst. Did you like the bit at the end?   
**Blowfish:** ... **HAPPY BIRTHDAY!** Lol, hope yeh had a good 'un, how old did you turn? ...No boss battle in this chappie, but I swear it will be the next. Sorries. And hey, they didn't leave them to rot, they went to find a way in. But GOD, how can you not know who she is! I've made it totally obvious! I'm not planning on revealing it in this story (I have a saga of about eight or nine total planned out) but it will still be soo obvious by the end—it already is. TT; Oh—and ZeLink forever, baby! (Your existence is not pointless. (whacks YOU with a rolled up newspaper) HAH!)  
**Pata Hikari:** Oh? I thought about calling this one "Kylia is a Hypocrite" but decided I wanted something serious. I never thought my titles were all that good actually... o.o;  
**Hikari:** Did you have fun on your trip? Glad you updated, yay. and hey, I thrive on sentimental, I have way too much bottled angst, just ask...anybody. XD  
**zeldafreak:** Meh, I'll work on it. I dun like action scenes much at all, they are VERY hard to write. And, erm, it's spelled Alanai, but I'll try to update that one too. n.n  
**Chocopop:** Oh my God, GET THIS GAME. Hella good. Well, except for Snowhead. And if you dunno who the lady is by now, shame be to you! It's _glaringly_ obvious. Glad you liked the fluff.  
**Bvv:** Don't feel bad, I'm sure I've seen your name before. And hey, thanks for offering shelter from rabid MaLinkers...go look in mah profile, I started a ZeLink community! Fun fun fun for the whole family, yay. It's not that I dun like Malon, I love her, but Link totally belongs with Zel, y'know?  
**Kaylina:** hey, Porky's awesome! Hehe, glad you liked the stuff, I am flattered.  
**Cure: **Ah, shaddup. :p I DO update. And, I can make cliffhangers if I wanna. Hehe, thanks for your review tho. Love ya dude.  
**ephidel: **Meh, I know, but I like fluff. Glad you liked the rest of it though! n.n  
**gleenthefrog:** Ehh, gonna have to get used to it, I'm a fluff addict. I go to Fluff Anonymous...anyways...thanks for your review, glad you liked it!

Guys, in case you haven't noticed, I've started a ZeLink C2 and I have a board up for advertising—tis called the fiction fortress, a great place for teen writers like ourselves, great for RP(G)'ing and chatting as well... PLEASE join! We dun have enough active posters. And, when join, you get a gift from me, a welcome goose! Meh, anyways, I hope you liked this chapter and I hope but cannot promise more will be up soon. Cya later!

Liz


	26. Chapter TwentyFive: Goht Falls to the Li...

**Author's Notes: **Like wow. Another chappie. For once I updated in a reasonable amount of time. And, I'm really happy about this chapter. Why?

**_I HAVE COMPLETE SNOWHEAD! FINALLY, IT IS DONE! I SHALL NEVER HAVE TO DO IT AGAIN, NEVER! YES, OH YES!_**

Hehe, yay.

This chap is just the boss battle though, and it's pretty short. Again. Oh fucking well. n.n

Guys, oh my god. Have you SEEN the new Zelda? Link is lookin damn sexy! And I actually thought Zelda looked pretty good, too, that sword kicks ass. (Yes sweethearts I'm bi, get over it.) Seriously though, they both look like...god, they are HOT. But Link is so much more...I mean, we all knew he was sexy but DAMN! I can't wait to see the story for that game and adapt it. It's gonna kick ass to play that game.

Something baaaad happens at the end. And the beginning is a bit sad but IT IS FORESHADOWING. But I shan't spoil it. Oh, and for this chapter I do hope, that you have "I'm Going Digital" or "I Run Around," (both from the Digimon movie) on hand, just cause they make good music for the fight. n.n Or it could just be me. Whee, have fun! Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-Five: In Which Goht Falls to the Light Arrows (No, Really, He Does.)

"Oy!"

Johan looked up tiredly. He had been deeply immersed in an old journal, one he had spent all night reading. He was running on very little sleep. It was now near dawn, and standing at his door was none other than Mido.

"Eh?" Johan asked.

"Saria's gone," Mido said. "She was staying in that big room with me, but she's gone now. Do you know where she might have gone?"

Johan rubbed his eyes and put the book down. "She didn't say anything to me. What is she doing out at this hour?"

"Search me," Mido said, shrugging. "Want a tour of the forest? I was gonna look for her there."

Johan studied Mido for a minute. Odd, he was being downright friendly. Johan didn't think Mido trusted him; then again, he was an easy person to trust.

"Sure, just wait till after breakfast, okay?" Johan said.

"Okay—hey, have you been reading that book all night?"

"Yup."

"What's it about?"

"About Link," Johan replied. "When he was a baby, his mother wrote down everything he did for the four months before...before she died. Before Link came to the forest."

Mido frowned. Link as a baby, out here and not in the forest...what an odd concept. And a mother...he'd never heard of such a thing.

"What's a mother?"

"Well," Johan began, how to explain? "It's a woman, the woman who gave birth to you, who created you. Kind of like the Deku Tree created the Kokiri. Except he'd be a father, as he was a he...a mother cares for you, until you're old enough to care for yourself, a lot like Saria did for Link. Hylians need mothers, see."

Mido tilted his head, fascinated.

"Can I read it?"

Johan hesitated, this was after all a part of life, not an actual book, but then he said, "Sure, just let me finish it. I haven't read it in a very long time."

"Okay."

Johan lay back on the bed as Mido made his exit. He couldn't help but like Mido—the kid wasn't so bad, actually, though he didn't think he'd ever be able convince Link otherwise. Mido was a little funny, Johan mused. He was mean to everybody, except Saria, and now himself. He even wanted to read about Link as a baby. Speaking of which...

Johan looked back down at the book and kept reading.

_I've finally learned to play that stupid song on the ocarina. Well it's not stupid, but still bloody had to play. Sam got it before me. But I can sing it. Sam won't sing, of course, he says it isn't manly, so I'm the only one who sings to Link. He was really fussy last night, cried most of the time. I stayed awake most of the time, but Sam finally came back from the castle and helped me. I know he had to be tired, but still, he wouldn't let me take care of "_our_ baby," he keeps reminding me, by myself..._

"Johan!"

Saria was at the door. Johan smiled and looked up at her.

"There you are. Mido was looking for you."

"Oh," Saria said, giggling. "Sorry. I was at my house. Just because I can leave the forest doesn't mean I like to stay away too long. Mido seems to love it though, even though he won't admit it..."

Johan laughed. "You'd better go on down and find him, he was offering me a tour of the forest to go look for you."

"We could go on a tour anyways, but yeah, I'll find him," Saria said, and she was off. Johan looked back down, trying to finish before any more interruptions stopped him.

_I can't wait to see Link grow up. Even if it's in this place all surrounded by war, I want to see the kind of person he becomes. His eyes are just like Sam's! It's amazing. It's been only four months, and the time seems to have passed so quickly. I only wish I could see the future. I'm sure Link will be a good a person as Sam is—after all, he has those _beautiful_ eyes. _

_What a miracle, to have a baby when both parents thought they never could. I love Link so much, and I hope he'll always know that. Even when he grows up and gets married! Can't even imagine that, I'll be so old then!_

_No time to worry about what I'll wear to his wedding, though, at least not yet. He's awake again, so I need to go tend to him... _

Johan smiled a little, blinking a few times. That was the last entry. The next day, Sam and Alanai had died.

He decided it was time for breakfast. He got up and walked out of his room, leaving the little diary under the blankets at the foot of his bed, and wiping his eyes as he went. (1)

At first, Link didn't notice anything unusual when he got to the top of the very tall ladder. They were in a large, circular room, except the room was the shape of a bagel—the inside was filled with stone, ice, and a ladder, but the rest went around in an endless circle. They had walked around three times before Link noticed what they had missed before.

"Holy sh—"

He pointed. Inside the wall was a chunk of ice, and behind it was a sleeping beast, some kind of...he didn't know. It had horns sprouting from its head, and it was a deep black color. It had four legs, and looked somewhat like a—

"A goat," said Darmani, once Link had re-donned the Goron Mask. "Its name is Goht."

_And you know this because...?_

"Easy, really. A fairy tale we tell to children. If you're bad, Goht will get you. He lives here, and fights with the Goron brothers...good thing he's behind all that ice, it'd be a nasty battle if he woke—"

Just then Goht began to stir. It stood up, and pawed the ground restlessly. Then it backed up, and came against the ice with a deafening crash, trying to break free. Ice and snow fell from the ceiling, and again the whole temple rumbled; Goht had been causing it the whole time.

"Whoa," said Tatl. Goht let out a deafening roar, and the entire group took a step back. "Okay, so, who votes we leave? Like, now?"

"We can't!" Kylia exclaimed. "We're here for a reason."

"Like what?"

"The weather switch is in that room with Goht," Darmani said, using Link's mouth. Link was a little surprised, but let him continue. "To get in, we have to get Goht out. That isn't a good idea. Some of us will have to go trigger the switch and some of us will have to fight. Really, Link and I are the only ones who'll be able to do any damage, seeing as we're a Goron."

Zelda, Kylia, and Tatl, who had thought it was Link talking, all looked confused for a moment, then nodded. Darmani began to explain how the switch worked to everyone, mostly Zelda, as she knew the most magic, and they formulated a plan.

Five minutes later they were at the ready. Goht had awoken twice more and pounded the ice, but it wouldn't seem to break. So they were going to do it instead.

Zelda fired a ray of light at Kylia, who reflected it off of her swords and onto the ice. The light grew warmer from the metal of the swords, and soon, the ice began to melt.

"I'd do a fire," Zelda had explained, "but those elemental spells really drain me."

With the combined power of Goht and the magic, the ice soon cracked and shattered like glass. Everyone jumped. Kylia looked back at Link.

"Sure you can't use my help?"

"Go help Zel," Link said slowly, looking up at the monster before him, which was blinking sleepily but recovering its wits fast. "I'm about to party." (2)

"Let's roll," Darmani agreed, as Kylia and Zelda rushed under Goht's legs. "Literally."

Link curled up, and with Darmani's help, started rolling, faster and faster, until he was so fast he could hardly see. He relied on feeling, as Darmani had taught him before, and shot off around the circle.

And Goht took off after him.

"Yee-haw!" Link yelled. He started slacking, enjoying the ride while Darmani controlled the motion—until Darmani purposely ran into the wall, avoiding the debris that came down just in time. Then he took over, zigzagging, flying up when he hit rocks in the paths, and whooping with delight when he hit the dips in the path.

"There's something else I haven't taught you about Goron rolling," Darmani muttered.

"Oh?" Link managed.

"Yes," Darmani said. "See, when we go for so long, those of us who have a little magic in our veins, that is—well, when we roll for so long without stopping we tend to get a hard rocky shell...covered in spikes."

"Say _what_?"

And then he knew it more than he felt it—his body was covered in spikes. It didn't hurt, and served as a good weapon, so...

Link accelerated, and Goht tried to match him. Link, of course, was smaller by far and went much faster, and was soon going faster than Goht, for he and Darmani were suing their combined speed into one body. Link passed Goht, once, twice, with the beast straining to keep up and then—

Link hit the brakes and spun around, kicking up snow and gravel. Goht, confused, ran right past him. They were now going in opposite directions around the circle. Link sped back up, and hit a rock on the path. He flew up and landed on Goht's back, spikes and all, and Goht roared in pain. Dizzy, Link swayed, then toppled off. His body hit the rock below, but he was mostly unfazed. Gorons were made for falls like that. Goht turned and tried to charge him, but he did a quick roll under the beast's legs. Goht turned back around. Link made a face and then took off again.

"You go, Link!" yelled Tatl excitedly from her place at the doorway where the ice had been. Kylia and Zelda were working the weather mechanism, but she was of no help, so she took it upon herself to watch the battle. She turned around to her companions. "How's it going, guys?"

"It's jammed," Kylia called. The weather mechanism was a large circular rock, with four images carved into it like points of the compass. There was a snowflake, a flower, a sun, and a leaf. In the middle of the rock there was a kind of dial. Normally it could be found moving slowly as if it was a clock. However, someone—Maclar—had jammed that dial on winter. It was stuck, and though both Zelda and Kylia were pulling at it, it wouldn't budge.

"Want me to get Link?" Tatl asked.

"He's busy, or couldn't you tell?" Kylia asked.

"Yeah. Whatever. He's stronger than the two of you put together. He's a freakin' Goron!"

"Fine," Zelda panted, leaning back. She couldn't budge it, so they needed help. "Go get him. Kylia, can you fight it for awhile?"

"Wha—uh, sure," Kylia stammered. How could she fight something that size? Still, no time to think about it, not now...

"Would you like some help?" asked a voice from behind her. Kylia whirled around to see the woman in the cloak. The hood was pulled down, but she couldn't see the woman's face—it was covered in a mask—or her hair—it was pulled back in a bandana.

"Crap, you scared me," Kylia said. "Okay, sure, why not, I'd love your help. Can you use a sword?"

The woman frowned.

"No, I've a distaste for them. But I'm a good archer, and I do have _these_..."

And on her back, she indicated a quiver, a glowing one big enough to hold a hundred or more arrows at least, made of the finest white cloth...

...and it was full of _light arrows_. (3)

Kylia's jaw dropped. "Where—how—?"

"My instructors gave them to me," the woman said, smiling. "If you'll distract him, I'll see if I can get in a good shot. Should only take one or two to weaken him long enough for Link to pull that thing loose. After that, I think he'll be able to finish."

"Go, Kylia!" Link yelled as he rolled past her into the room with Zelda. He grasped at the dial and pulled. Kylia raced out into the circle, the cloaked woman on her heels.

Kylia sized Goht up. _Yeah,_ she thought, _I think I can..._

Before she could tell her partner what she was doing, she leapt up into the air, landing on Goht's back. She could see the gashes in Goht's body made by Link's spikes. And what amazed her most was that it was all metal, Goht was a machine!

"Hold on!" yelled the cloaked woman. "Here we go!"

Kylia grabbed the goat by the horns and held on for dear life. The woman shot the arrow and it landed right in Goht's eyes. The beast bucked, and she shot another arrow, into the other eye. It fell to the ground, motionless, and Kylia rolled off.

She was just in time. Blinded, Goht got back up and started slowly towards the pair. The cloaked woman cursed and got another arrow, but before she could fire, Kylia pushed her out of the way of Link.

"Lookout!" he yelled as he sped by. He had spikes on him again, and he went up in the air the first time he hit a rock in the path. He landed right in Goht's face, between the eyes, and, unfortunately, got stuck.

Everyone did a jawdrop. There was silence. Then—

"What the _hell_?" Link yelled. "_Not_ cool!"

"Get him down!" Zelda yelled, still at work on the weather machine.

Noise resumed. Link struggled and Kylia did another jump. She landed right on Goht's back, and climbed over to where Link was. Goht started running again.

"Hold on, Link, quit moving," Kylia said, struggling to stay balanced.

"No, I got it—almost—"

"Hey!"

Kylia's head shot up and her eyes went wide. The cloaked woman was aiming an arrow at the pair of them.

"Wait a sec!" Kylia yelled. "You'll hit Link!"

"I'm a good shot!" she yelled back. "Just hold him still!"

Link didn't move, trusting this voice, but Kylia ducks. The arrow hit and Goht bucked again. Link and Kylia both fell, but unfortunately Kylia was worse off than Link. She was buried in rubble. Goht ran around once more, then crumpled, dead. His body burst into blue flames, and the ashes started spinning...

It didn't concern Link in the slightest.

"Kylia!" he screamed, horrified. He tore off the mask and ran to the place where his friend fell. He looked back at the cloaked woman. "Help me unbury her," he said. "This is your fault."

"Okay."

Together, Link and the woman worked, uncovering the rubble. Zelda ran out to the place where they were, just as frightened as Link was for their friend's safety, and Tatl was hot on her heels. She helped Link and the woman dig, but just before they reached the bottom of the pile, the woman backed off, despite protests from the rest of the group.

"What are you doing?"

"Help us!"

"You can't leave now!"

"I have to," the woman said sadly, "If you want to save her life."

She backed away. The ashes of Goht were still spinning, but Link, Zelda, and Tatl were focused on the rubble. They dug fiercely, no longer caring what this woman was doing. Finally they unearthed Kylia.

"Oh no," Zelda breathed. "Oh please no."

"She's dead," Link said, stunned.

How could it be? How could the one they loved, like a sister, as their friend, have died so suddenly like this? How could she have let that kill her, how?

"My Goddesses," Link whispered, "She's dead."

"She's _not_," Tatl said fiercely, flying down to Kylia. "I can feel a pulse. A tiny one. get her out of that junk."

The cloaked woman walked over to where the ashes of Goht had stopped spinning. There lay a mask. She picked it up. What an ugly thing.

Link set Kylia down on the smooth stone inside the weather mechanism room. He tried everything to wake her up—Zelda even used healing magic. And then—

"Link!" the woman called. "Catch!"

Link looked up, and by reflex, he caught the object she threw his way.

It was a mask.

Immediately they saw a fog, one so thick they couldn't see themselves. They lost each other in the white swirling mass. And it cleared, and they were standing on that same stone pillar they had stood when they met the being Esmeralda had called the Great Deku King. They were back in that place—and they could all hear the low, echoing cries of something not from their world.

**AN: **Eeek, don't hate me for the cliffie. Don't worry though, Kylia isn't dead, I love her too much (and I need her for the third book, heh o.o; )!

(1) Poor Johan. (hugs him) I love him though...  
(2) Start the fight music! W00t!  
(3) FYI, these are super-rare. Johan had the powder for them from the first story by a thing of mere luck. To have a quiver full of a hundred of them in UNHEARD of.

Okay, responses, then.

**Bvv:** Dude, totally. And, you can speak and write in French, I'm jealous. Oh well though. And, I'm glad you find the story humorous, sometimes I ain't so good with humor...  
**serenitythefaierikin:** Yeah, ain't he hot? I'm loving the new game! And, unless you figure it out by yourself, you won't be finding it out till book eight. Sorries. ( Book Eight will probably be the last or next to last story in this saga. Or, it will possibly continue forever. But if I have any more ideas for stories, they go in between now and book eight. So, it'll probably be quite awhile. (  
**gleenthefrog:** meh, no prob, good luck with your exams. I got out of school today, I am soo happy.  
Chocopop: I'm planning to make it last as long as it needs to, actually. Doesn't matter to me. The other one only lasted like, thirty-five, but I'm hoping this one will be longer as book three is gonna be kinda short. Three people? You're not thinking the goddesses are you? I hope not, cause that's not right. Oh, and Majora's Mask also comes on the Gamecube, you can get it along with OoT and LoZ 1 and 2 on LoZ: Collector's Edition. Ask about it. YOU NEED TO PLAY THIS GAME.  
Aramin: thankies!  
ephidel: Ah, but not when I'm writing it. Thankies muchly, hope you enjoyed!  
Miss Penny: Third is no big deal, I have eight planned as it stands right now. book eight is when the cloaked lady reveals herself. Funny that, but no one but Johan will know her face...  
Hikari: Ooh, fun. And yes, the lyrics are my own. They are in fact the lullaby Alanai sang to Link as a baby. The full copy is on my Fiction Press (dot) Com profile, the link, if you wanna see, is in my FF profile, and the song at the end of the last chappie was bad foreshadowing. Sigh. Whew, abbreviations...anyways, when are you updating that story anyways? Oh, and your MC adapt ROCKS!

I'd like to take the moment to advertise a fic. Everybody go to Hikari no Purinsesu's profile, and read her Minish Cap adapt. Then read aaaaallll her other stuff. It's good. But the MC adapt really does kick ass Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Greki: o.o; Yeah, but your mouth shall never be dirtier than mine, bwahahahah.  
Blowfish: Hah, Goht DIED! Kylia almost did too. And that cloaked lady...well, your guess was closer to the truth than you want me to say, so I'll leave it at that. Like I said to everybody else though, she won't truly be revealed until book eight...still, I wonder what made you say what you did. (don't say it in a review, it could spoil.) By the way, when are you updating? (whines) I can't wait fer more... (shifty eyes)

Well, that's all. Guys, think, and be cool, and stay groovy, don't cut down tress and stuff. Have fun! Byes!


	27. Chapter TwentySix: Candlelight

**Author's Notes:** WOOT, another chappie. YES! I think now that I'm out of Snowhead my updates should become frequent again. We can only hope. Anyways, there's another hint in this chapter, yay! It's very subtle, though—you'd have to go all the way to my FP stuff to find it, so meh. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chappie.

Chapter Twenty-Six: Candlelight

"_Do I know you? I'm so sure that I've...that I've heard your voice before..."_

_I've heard her, I know her, she killed me but I'm still alive—_

"_I've heard your voice before."_

_I know who she is I know, I know, her name is—_

"_I've heard your voice."_

_But I can't...I can't remember anymore...it's gone..._

"_Your voice..."_

Kylia jerked awake to find the pale and worried faces of Link and Zelda staring back down at her.

"It worked," Link breathed. "Oh, my Goddesses. Kylia, we thought we'd lost you."

Kylia silently looked around her. Fog, white fog. Everywhere.

There was a deep cry from the farthest reaches of the fog, answered by another one.

"'We are together,'" Tatl translated, and Kylia realized she had flown out about a foot into the fog. "'Together, we were able to heal your friend. She is near death no more.' Wait, the second one is saying something else—'Thank you for removing the mask from my face. I will leave you in the place where the flowers bloom once more. The one you seek lies behind closed eyes.' Wait, what? This doesn't make any—"

Just then the fog thickened. Tatl heard the voices one last time, but when the others asked her to translate, she lied and told them she hadn't caught it.

_In the darkest corners_

_There's light to be found_

_In the roughest waters_

_A candle can be seen_

_Remember who you are..._

"Too bad," said Link shakily. "Kylia, are you all right?"

"I can't see," she answered. "Too much fog."

Kylia shivered, then felt warmer. She heard birds chirping. She felt a warm breeze blow gently across her face, and the surface beneath her changed from smooth stone to thick, soft grass. She could hear water bubbling in a creek nearby, and she closed her eyes...

When Kylia next opened her eyes, she gasped.

"Where are we?" she asked Link, now in his Goron form.

"Darmani says we're 'home'," Link said, stunned. The place was no longer covered with snow, but full of cheerfulness and life that seemed to have sprouted quite literally overnight. It was still dark, but the sun was peeking over the horizon. Link looked at the moon to see what day it was. Judging from the closeness, the last day. And yet...

They had been gone an entire twenty-four hours. It should have been the _second_ day.

"Where are we?" Kylia repeated. She looked around. They were all soaking wet, she noticed, by a deep lake. And in the center of that lake was a rocky skeleton, what remained of Snowhead Temple until winter came again next year...

"We washed up here," Tatl said. "This place is Snowhead!"

"That's amazing," Zelda said. "The snow melted and spring came in a single day and night, and—what the hell?"

The fog was still in the sky, somehow. It had kept them safe, perhaps. They could still see a dark form moving behind the murky whiteness. It gave a low cry, the same five notes, and the fog vanished.

Nothing.

Then everything rumbled. Wave upon wave of rainbow light swept over everything. And the next thing anyone knew, they were in the Clock Tower. They'd gone back in time.

"Wow," Zelda whispered. "What happened?"

"Dunno," said Tatl. "I guess that giant thing did it."

"Let's get outta here," Link said. "This place sucks."

It took them several minutes to get their bearings. Kylia was still rather shaky from her injury, though physically fine, and everyone was wet, soaking wet, and wanted to squeeze the water out of their clothing.

When they were finally out in town, Link remembered that he was going to look for a frog. He reminded his friends of this and they took up the search enthusiastically. By noon, however, they were tired and hungry and ready to go back to Doc's for food and rest. They started towards East Clock Town, debating furiously over what the beings had told them back at Snowhead.

"Who," Link asked for the fifth time at least, "is the 'one we seek'? I mean, I'm looking for plenty of people—not to mention a dry pair of socks." Link winced. "I mean, where are they...? 'Behind closed eyes.' Some hint."

"Maybe they meant Ganondorf," Zelda suggested.

"Or the skull kind," Kylia pointed out.

"No, they had to mean Tael," Tatl said, frowning. She was worried for her brother.

"I think they meant Navi," Link said. He sighed. He was worried about his fairy partner. She had been their top priority, yet they had gotten sidetracked, and now thought they had to call up the Giants from the four areas around Termina in order to have enough power to beat one simple skull kid.

Which was stupid, really. After all, it was only one skull kid.

Then again, he was wearing that mask...

"I hope Navi's okay," Zelda said, sounding as worried as Link was. Link knew she was almost as fond of Navi as himself; she had spent the months their adventures had taken them the first time with only Link and Navi to go inside the temples with her.

"Yeah, me too," Link muttered, and he took hold of Zelda's hand.

They were halfway up the stairs in East Clock Town when someone bumped into Kylia.

"Ow!" she said.

"Sorry," said the offender.

Kylia looked up and brightened.

"Hullo, mates," said Ella. She was grinning widely and holding a purple frog in her hands. "I found this fella, and ol' Doc up at the observatory says 'e was lookin' for you, and his family."

"Thanks," Kylia said, stunned, and she took the frog. "How did you know Doc? Or what we were up to?"

"Oh, I've known the old man since he showed up at the swamp," Ella said, waving her hands, which were now free. "And he told me all about it. Well come on, Tayan's waiting and we're on a rushed schedule."

"It's great to see you," Zelda said happily as they walked through the underground tunnels.

"What, you thought we'd all forget about you?" asked Ella, grinning. "We've been itching to repay you for y'kindness since y'left us." She brightened. "Oy, we're here now!"

With great ease, Ella climbed the last ladder and bounded up the multi-colored staircase. Zelda hurried after her, and giggled at the sight that met her. Tayan was on the floor with Ella on top of him, groaning, and Doc was standing above them grinning widely. Tayan had dropped an envelope full of pictographs, the same pictographs that had been taken in the boxes Kylia, Link, and Zelda had on their trip to the swamp.

"Your arm looked terrible," Tayan told Kylia, grimacing and getting to his feet slowly.

"Not nearly as bad as the look on your face," Kylia responded, and Doc roared with laughter.

Link ignored them and proceeded to tell everyone how tired he was and why, using a great amount of detail.

"...and we had to fight that goat thing, and I got stuck on its face, jeez, and then of course Kylia nearly died and that scared the shit out of me and then we got washed up on that lake and we're all soaking wet and I've had it, I'm taking a nap and I don't give a damn what anyone thinks."

Link paused to draw breath.

"Not a bad idea," Zelda agreed, yawning.

Ella scowled.

"You're no fun. I could stay awake for weeks at a time."

"You do that, then," Kylia said, grinning. "But _we_ need sleep."

While Link, Zelda, Kylia and Tatl went to find a place to nap, Ella took the new frog and placed it next to the one in the tank. She watched the frogs interact with each other interestedly, even though they weren't doing much.

"What are you looking at?" Tayan asked.

"The frogs!" Ella told him. She had her head resting on one arm and was staring as if in a trance.

"Well, they're not doing much except sitting there and making noise."

"They are too doin' somethin'. They're having a froggy conversation, in fact. Grand things, frogs."

"Shh," Doc told them sternly. He nodded his head over at the telescope, where the adventurers had put blankets and mattresses on the floor to sleep. Zelda was snuggled up against Link, and Kylia was turned on her side on the mattress next to them, with Tatl snoozing on top of her head.

Ella giggled.

"Shall I go poke 'em awake? I want t'do somethin'!"

"Leave them be," Tayan said, waving a hand. "They do so much. It isn't wrong for them to get a little sleep once in awhile..."

Link stirred next to Zelda, opening then closing his eyes, his last thoughts before he drifted off of Navi, wondering where she was, and hoping for her safety...

Sheik swung his legs over the fence surrounding his garden, and the little girl on his back giggled in delight. He trotted a few more paces, then, winded, set her down gently on the grass.

"That's enough," he told her in Shekiah tongue; she understood no other languages. "I'm too tired to carry you around _all_ day."

"What did you say?" questioned Navi, from the air beside Sheik. She and Tael had accompanied him throughout the day, getting used to the ways of the Shekiah village. They had been dismayed to find out that Shekiah spoke their own tongue as a first language, and Hylian as a second. Most of the adults and older teenagers knew Hylian, but the younger children, like Sheik's adopted sister Ryn, only knew Shekian.

"Just told her I was tired," Sheik answered, and he himself fell down on the grass. Ryn giggled.

When Navi and Tael first got to the Shekiah village, they had been very impressed. The houses were not large or elaborate, but they were well built and sturdy, all around a small shelter in the center of the village, that always had a fire burning in the middle. This fire, Sheik told them, had been the first campfire his people had started to cook their food, and they had taken great pains to make sure it never went out again. All the Shekiah had small gardens next to their houses, and a few gardens had small ponds with fish in them. There were even cuccos that stayed in front of the houses.

The houses, they soon found out, were only used when the weather was very bad. The Shekiah had shelters without walls built around the houses, and there were hammocks underneath. The stoves and everything else was all kept outdoors. There was a small creek that ran just outside the village, and over it was a wooden bridge. This was where people fished and got water.

Navi had been expecting to find a crumbling civilization. Instead, the Shekiah were _thriving_.

"Sheik," she said, "I think we should try and find my friends."

Sheik looked over at her.

"This is a big place, and I'd have no idea where to look for them. I'm not very familiar with the land outside of this area."

"I know," Navi replied. "But we have Tael, and—I'm very worried about them."

"I know Termina like the back of my hand," Tael put in. "Maclar fused Link with a Deku Scrub, so if Link got out of it, he would have gone to the swamp. Come on, Sheik, I know the way. I wanna find my sister."

Ryn asked Sheik something, and he replied in his own language. She sighed, looking upset.

"She wanted to know what we were talking about, and I told her," Sheik said. "But we can't leave her here—the days going back affect her too, and no one else. She'd be lost."

"So we take her with us," Navi said. "She won't mind, will she?"

Sheik and Ryn conversed a minute, and finally he replied to Navi, "She says she wouldn't min if she went with us—but I would. What if she gets hurt?"

"She'll be fine," Navi assured Sheik. "We're just looking for Link—nothing dangerous in that except avoiding that stupid Skull Kid."

"Well," Sheik mused, "I don't know...how many Shekiah do you see wandering around...what did you call it...Clock Town?"

Navi smiled.

"Yeah. But...something we learned the hard way in Hyrule is that everybody's the same on the inside. The only thing different about you is your eyes, and if Zelda can disguise hers, you can disguise yours."

"True," Sheik said thoughtfully. "All right then, we'll leave tomorrow morning for the swamp."

Link yawned and opened his eyes. What an odd dream, he mused. Navi and that purple fairy, and Zelda and her Sheik costume, and some other little girl, all sitting together in the grass. For a moment he wondered if the dream had been a glimpse of reality, but he saw Zelda snuggled safe beside him and knew she wasn't anywhere in her Sheik outfit—she was here with him.

Which satisfied him well enough.

He looked down at her. She was so beautiful. Especially when she was asleep. When she was asleep, he mused, she couldn't retaliate, should he decide to do something...funny.

Link grinned and poked Kylia and Tatl awake.

"What?" Kylia mumbled drowsily.

"Shh," Link warned. "Gimme your pack."

Kylia, very tired and very confused, handed over her pack and Link began to dig eagerly. Then, at last, he found his ocarina, which Kylia had been keeping for him while he was a Goron. He put the instrument to his lips and leaned down next to Zelda. Then he blew a hard, shrill, note, right in her ear.

Zelda screamed and woke up.

"What the fucking hell was that!"

She saw Link laughing and her eyes narrowed.

"Unladylike, Princess, swearing like that," he chided. He saw the look in her eyes and took off running, right out the door.

"Whatcha gonna do about it?" he yelled as he went.

"I'm gonna fucking kill you!_ Damn you, Link, get your sorry ass back here and take it like a man!_"

Zelda went after Link like a bolt of lightning. The sounds of them bickering and chasing each other could be heard through Doc's open window. Kylia was doubled up in silent laughter, tears streaming down her face, and Tatl had fallen to the ground, laughing so hard she was hiccupping.

"Oh—my—Goddesses," Kylia choked out, when Ella, Doc, and Tayan entered the room, confused.

"What 'appened?" Ella asked. "Sounded like a bomb went off..."

"Zelda," gasped Tatl. "Link—_hic_—woke her up. And she _swore_! Like—_hic_—nobody's _business_, she swore!"

Doc shook his head.

"Crazy young'uns," he muttered. He walked over to the frog tank to look at the two frogs sitting there, and, after making sure they were all right, headed out the door. He took in the scene before him and shook his head again.

Link was sitting casually in a tree, playing a few random notes on his ocarina while Zelda fumed below. How he got up there was a complete mystery; the tree had few braches near the ground that were sturdy enough to climb. Ella, Kylia, and Tayan, following Doc, all saw Link in the tree and laughed. Tayan and his sister even scaled the tree to join Link.

"How did you get up there?" Doc asked, scratching his head.

"I climbed," Link said. "I'm just glad she decided not to come after me." He grinned at Zelda, who, despite herself, started to smile. She folded her arms and raised her eyebrows, trying to hide it.

"Son, the boys in Clock Town have been trying to climb that tree since they were old enough. I'll ask again..._how_ did you get up there?"

"Can't everybody climb trees?" Link asked, confused.

"Not like those they can't," Kylia said.

"I climbed trees like this all the time back home," Link said, still grinning. "My origins run deep. And so do Saria's teaching-me-to-climb-trees skills." He put the Ocarina of Time to his mouth again and began to play the lullaby his mother used to use to soothe him into sleep. They all listened a moment, then Ella frowned.

"Hush a second," she told Link. "Listen."

The noise was coming from inside—it was the frogs, croaking in pitches, playing out the same tune Link had been playing mere seconds before.

"Wow," said Link, thunderstruck. "They remember!"

He hopped down from the tree and went indoors. The frogs had by this point finished, but Link took out the ocarina again and played the song. The frogs croaked along until he stopped.

"I played this song for them years ago," Link explained to his friends, who were now inside, watching. "When I first met them. But it's been almost eight years. I guess they just don't forget."

With the excitement of the frogs, and of having Zelda literally chasing him up a tree, Link wasn't thinking about anything else. He had been planning to mention his odd dream to someone, but as his friends, old and new, began to ask for more details of the mountain adventure, he forgot all it about the dream and began to tell his story, and the thought of asking someone what his dream might have meant slipped away entirely.

They had lunch consisting of sandwiches and apples from the tree outside. After lunch, Link brought up something he'd been thinking about for while.

"I bet everyone at the mountains experienced the same time changed you guys at the swamp did," he told Tayan.

"That isn't good," Tayan mused. "Shouldn't someone go and explain what happened?"

"Sure," Link said, "but we don't know anybody there, and they don't know us—they'll think we're liars, or crazy, or something."

Tayan laughed.

"What?" Link asked.

"They don't know _you_," Tayan said, smiling, "But what if we'd told them you were Darmani the Great?"

Twitch watched quietly as his father, Meegar, tribe leader of the Gorons, placed a funeral wreath over Darmani's grave. It had been a confusing day. They had somehow gone back in time, and though his father had been revived, the sad truth was that his brother was dead. They hadn't found his body, but they hadn't found him alive either. They thought that, somehow, his body had washed away—sank like a stone in all that water.

"I am sure," said the feeble old Goron, "that my son has saved us all. His heroics shall never be known, but it's to him we owe our lives. May his soul rest in peace."

Here his voice broke. He could not continue. He turned away.

Just then, a loud screeching broke the mournful silence. It _sounded_ like a Goron rolling, Meegar reflected, but that was impossible; all the Gorons had come to attend his beloved son's funeral...

"Yee-haaaw!" Link cried as he and Darmani rolled as one down to the slope where the Gorons were gathered. Darmani, inside his head, told Link to be careful about yelling; they had agreed Darmani would take control awhile and explain what happened rather than Link doing anything, and they both knew no one could suspect the truth—that Darmani was only half alive and sharing a body with a human from another world.

They'd think of them both as mad, for a start.

Darmani and Link kicked up gravel as they rolled downhill, gathering speed every second. The Gorons at the funeral scattered with surprised yells, and Darmani and Link knocked over the flowers that had been set up on accident. It was fitting, though, Darmani reflected to Link, and Link agreed.

The pair as one screeched to a halt and stood.

"Well," Darmani said as he brushed himself off, "you lot have certainly gotten pessimistic. I'm telling you, I don't die that easily."

Everyone was silent as they looked the Goron up and down. Then:

"_Darmi!_" cried Twitch. He was at Darmani's waist in two seconds flat, hugging him hard.

Darmani laughed. So did everyone else. Everyone laughed and most of them almost laughed and cried at the same time. Darmani hugged Meegar and Twitch, and announced, "I'm here to break up the funeral!"

Instantly everyone was at his side demanding details. Darmani did his best to calm everyone down, and finally had to go inside the Goron Shrine and sit everyone down. Inside the Goron Shrine was where Zelda, Kylia, and Tatl were waiting.

"Who are you?" Twitch asked them when he saw them.

"My friends," Darmani answered. Inside his head, Link jokingly told Darmani that they were _his_ friends, _he_ saw them first. Darmani ignored him and tried not to laugh. "Zelda, Kylia, and Tatl," Darmani added, and each waved as their name was said. "They helped me change the weather back to spring again."

"Tell us about it," Twitch pleaded.

And so Darmani did. He told them the whole story, changing only a few details. He told them about falling, making it out to be that Link had saved his life instead of the strange woman in the cloak, and he told them of going through the temple, making it sound as though he and Link were in separate bodies.

"And then there was Goht," Darmani said. "I took care of him while Link switched the weather back. The snow melted, and we went back in time, somehow. Link's ocarina is magical—without it, we wouldn't've survived."

Darmani finished off the story and the other Gorons looked at him in awe.

"I'd say," one Goron called Knack commented, "that this calls for the races!"

"Aw, brother, we can't," said another Goron. "Path is blocked up, by a rock that fell during that flood when the ice melted..."

"Hey, Darmani," Knack said, "you couldn't help us punch it loose, could you?"

"I'll do you one better and talk P.T. into blowing it up," said Darmani. "I notice he isn't here..."

"Too distraught," Meegar said sadly, shaking his head. "We can't get him to come out of the cave..."

"I'll talk to him," assured Darmani, and after he and everyone else said their goodbyes, he, Zelda, Tatl, and Kylia set off towards a cave just outside the village.

"Who's P.T.?" Tatl asked Darmani.

"My best friend since before Twitch was born, along with Knack," Darmani. "Whatever you do, don't ask him what it stands for. Knack tried that and got his bed set on fire, and he and P.T. are great friends."

"Er, what does it stand for?" Zelda asked.

"I don't know," Darmani asked, and he grinned. "A good guess would be pyrotechnic. He's nuts about stuff like that." Darmani frowned. "He isn't easily brought down, though. I hope he's okay. What?"

"What what?" asked Tatl.

"Hush, Link's talking to me," Darmani said. Then: "Sure."

In an instant Link was standing where Darmani had been.

"I was getting tired, wanted to be myself awhile," he told his companions. "Being a Goron gets kinda heavy, you know?"

Another Goron, the one called Knack, was following them stealthily by hiding behind buildings every now and then. What he saw made his mouth drop.

"What in the world...?" Knack whispered to himself.

"You know, it's really too bad, about what happened," Link said to his friends. "I can't wait for all this to be over so Darmani can be brought back to life. Daeken, too." He laughed. "Speaking of which..."

In another instant there was a Deku Scrub standing where Link had been. Then Link was there again.

Knack blinked.

He decided he'd follow the group _just_ a little longer.

Just to see what was going on.

**AN:** Woot. I've never made a Goron OC before, so we'll have to see how this works. It's not really the race though, just how often they're used and such. As you guys can probably guess, I've fallen in love with Ella and Tayan. XD Man, I have too many OC's. Oo;

Lately I'm also having a problem with names. Meegar was easy to come up with, but I slaved for hours over P.T. and Knack. Cause, y'know, I wanted the name to mean something about the character. XD Anyways, I'm rambling. Sor—

OH! One more thing before responses—guess what guess what!

**_THEY LEGALIZED GAY MARRIAGE IN CANADA! YESSSSS! YES! YES! YES! THANK GOD ALMIGHTY, YESSSS!_**

As you can tell, I'm highly supportive of this. Also, if you're not homophobic or anything, I have a call-out to you as writers. On the message board on the fiction Fortress, a message board I've linked to in my profile, we are doing an e-book project and desperately need more authors to get it up off the ground. Head to the Writer's Corner section and click on the topic called "E-Book Project." Any help is greatly appreciated.

Okay, NOW the responses.

Holy shit, fourteen? For one chapter::hugs every last one of you and gives you all cookies and a link plushie: I think I'm gonna cry...

**Bvv:** Aw, but I'm not really that good at humor, my sister (I'm a hippie, don't ask—you _are_ a girl, right?), when you look at it. I need to improve a good deal. As for the info on TP, try looking on IGN dot Com, or in the Nintendo Power magazines. If all else fails, e-mail me and I'll tell you everything there is to know. XP  
**ReDeadphobia:** Hell yes. I hate Goht. Like, he's fun to fight but getting to him is a royal pain in the ass, you know? As for you thinking you know who the lady is, please do tell. You probably have it right. :P Oh and...Kylia is fine now! Lol  
**Hikari:** Ahh, finally, someone guesses it right! It's so glaringly obvious! As for advertising, no problem! I'm in love with that fic. (drools) Good luck updating it!  
**serenitythefaierikin:** Meh, Kylia's fine, I love her way too much to kill her and she's essential to the plot of book three. XD Thanks for reviewing.  
**gleenthefrog:** COOKIE COOKIE COOKIE  
**pengurl: **Wow, thanks, I'm flattered! I'm glad you liked my stories so much. Have a pie. (gives pie)  
**Greki:** Sorry, only one language here. TP rocks out loud, but the thing is, it and KH2 and StH all come out on the same damn day...grr.  
**Miss Penny:** Wow, really! Thank you! (hug)  
**ZF:** Try Arxane's, his beats mine by a long shot.  
**Blowfish:** Ya damn straight I wouldn't kill her...as I said, she's essential for the plot of the third book. :) Oooh, and yes, you were close. Toldja so. :P But...the ine thing I don't get...why is Goht so funny? Oo;  
**windwakerlord:** Thanks!  
**Cure:** Bleh, she's getting a new look soon. XD  
**Chocopop: **Yea, I hate the servers too. Real hard to work with, lol. I'm glad you're hyper. XD If you can't buy MM, there's always the ROM, though...  
**J-Boy:** Oh, I've seen the game beaten just never beaten it myself. Thanks for the compliments though, I'm truly flattered! Sad thing there are so few MM fics out there...same way as there so few complete OoT fics. (thus, why I made mine. XD)


	28. Chapter TwentySeven: Space Invaders a

**Author's Notes:** It's been almost a bloody year. A YEAR! I am ASHAMED of myself, honestly I am. I thought maybe my inability to write was just due to Snowhead but...it's more than that, Apparently I'm getting it back now though. I did half the chapter in one sitting. But I make no promises. My muse flits in and out.

To explain a small plothole that makes me wince: Link and the others sometimes refer to english as the language they speak. Why? Because I was young and stupid. They speak Hylian, which is very different from english. HOWEVER, they speak Hylian in Termina as well, except they probably call it by another name. Anytime you see english before this chapter, replace it with Hylian in your brain. Thanks.

Oh, and I'm sorry if this chapter seems a little...slow. Nothing of major, major importance happens here. That comes in the next chapter, which I am three quarters of the way done with, but again no promises on when I'll update. I've found it to be a risky thing to do. TT;

Enjoy, and THANK YOU for being so patient.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Space Invaders and Cross Dressing

"_Scream."_

"_Never."_

_A sharp slap._

"_Damn you, girl, scream."_

_Blood ran from her cut lip and the look in her eyes was one of pure hatred, and for a moment his resolution flickered. But not for long._

"_I'll die first," she whispered._

"_It may well come to that. But not yet."_

"_Then kill me."_

"_Oh no, not yet." _

"_Are you afraid?" she mocked, and received another slap._

"_The ideas I have in mind are much, much worse...you'll scream yet, and bow to me in the process."_

"_I will never scream. You can't make me."_

"_As for that, we'll have to see."_

X

Knack followed the party to P.T.'s cave as closely as he dared. The more he watched Link change his forms, the more confused and curious he became; he had no idea what was going on and didn't know Link was changing forms, he thought there was some kind of teleportation going on.

When the cave began to creep in sight, Link stopped and then Darmani was standing there. Knack shook his head, and watched.

"P.T.?" Darmani called.

"Go away," came the sour reply. "I don't wanna talk to anybody."

"P.T.!"

"Go away or I'll put a cherry bomb up your sorry a—"

A Goron came around the bend of the cave and stopped and stared. The party stared at him, too. The Goron was an odd creature. He was covered in patches of soot from head to toe, and sported a large, shiny burn over his right shoulder (burns were highly uncommon among Gorons, who could walk through the most powerful fires and over piping hot lava without feeling a thing). He was also wearing a most peculiar pair of goggles, now pushed up over his eyes. This, without a doubt, was P.T.

"Darmani?" P.T. asked, blinking, rubbing his eyes.

Darmani nodded. P.T.'s jaw dropped. Then he started laughing, wiping a few tears of joy from his eyes.

"Ohh, dude, I'll bet this is a long story," P.T. said. "Ah, Darmani, I thought you were one dead heap of rock! Who are these dudes?"

Darmani introduced his companions ("I'm not a dude," complained Tatl, something that sent Zelda-who-had-cross-dressed-as-a-guy-in-tights-for-seven-years into peals of laughter), and told P.T. the exact same story he'd told the Gorons back at the Shrine. P.T. listened intently, then cocked his head.

"But, dude," he said, "where's Link?"

X

"_What must I do to break your spirit?" he spat angrily. He had tried all methods of torture—mental, physical, even causing her to hallucinate. Nothing would work. She would not cry out, nor would she give him the thing he so desired..._

"_It can't be done," she responded mildly; pain was taking away her fierce anger and replacing it with a careless sense of numbness, detachment. "And even if you do break my spirit, you'll never break my soul. I pity you; _you_ have little soul left, and there's nothing there to break. You're more miserable than I ever was—all you care about is yourself and your power, power that you believe will make you happy but in the end will only contribute to your suffering. You're alone and friendless in what you consider a cold, dark, harsh world. You hate yourself and everything around you and it's eating you away from the inside and driving you to the edge of madness._

"_And you know what? You deserve every second of it."_

_For her words, her words that struck a deep place inside of him because she was so _right_, she only earned more pain._

X

_Good question,_ thought Knack from the doorway of the cave. He decided it was time to step in and say something.

"S'what I'd like to know," he told Darmani, and everyone jumped.

They all stared silently, and then, Darmani spoke.

But though it was with the same voice, the same mouth, the same body, everyone present sensed that it was not actually Darmani speaking—that there was something different in the way it was said.

"I'm Link."

_Don't,_ Darmani pleaded silently with Link.

_They're your friends,_ Link thought. _If anyone'll believe you, they will._

Memories that were not Darmani's own flooded into his head. Being spoken to by an unseen voice only he could hear, and yet, Zelda, Kylia, even Tatl, to a degree, standing by him...

"Okay," said Darmani. This time everyone knew it was he that spoke, from the more formal manner. "The real story is that...I'm...dead."

X

"_Scream!" he shouted, but _he_ was the one screaming, his rage almost tangible. He knew this and it only made him angrier._

"_I won't," she responded with quiet dignity. "I won't."_

X

"...and so Link and I are fused together in one body, unless he takes off the mask. Me," Darmani finished.

His friends stared at him skeptically. They glanced at each other, then at Darmani.

"Take it off," Knack said. "I mean, that'll prove you aren't making this up..."

"Oh," Darmani said, and automatically, Link lifted his fingers and became himself.

"Hi," Link said. "I'm Link."

"_Duuude,_" P.T. said.

X

"_I hate you. I will never scream."_

"_I want that medallion, and you have to give it to me for that to happen. Give it to me!"_

"_I'll never give it to you. I'd like to see you take it."_

"_Then I will see you scream. The pain will only get worse from here. Believe you me, if I had a faster way to do this that wretched thing would be mine already." He leaned forward and grabbed her wrist, squeezing hard._

"_Ah, but I'm only the first! Oh, just imagine the others!" She gave a crazy laugh with no other purpose than to anger him, and anger him it did; he struck her across the face again and again..._

"_Scream! _Damn you, scream!_"_

_She smiled grimly._

"_No."_

Navi jerked awake. She and Tael were waiting in Sheik's room inside the house—it was raining—while he put Ryn to bed, and Navi, sitting at the windowsill enjoying the view, had dosed off.

"You okay?" Tael asked.

"Yes," Navi replied. "Just...a really weird nightmare."

"Well, hey," Tael said, smiling and trying to make her feel better, "at least it was only a dream."

"Yeah," Navi replied, unsure. "Yeah, I guess..."

X

So P.T. and Knack were filled in on the whole story and in the end they thought it was pretty cool, if a little morbid, and didn't think Darmani was crazy at all. They wound up staying the night in P.T.'s cave, which was actually a lot cozier than anyone expected, save for the lack of beds (they slept on blankets dragged out from a closet).

The following morning, P.T. and Knack both had part of the cave wall for breakfast, and Link, Zelda, Tatl, and Kylia all let their stomachs rumble silently until P.T. pointed them to some fruit trees outside.

Sometime around high noon, P.T. arrived at the blocked entrance of the racetracks. He was carrying with him the biggest bomb Link, Kylia, Zelda, or Tatl had ever seen. The other Gorons seemed quite used to it, but Link was astounded. The bomb was actually a barrel full of gun powder, bomb flowers, normal bombs, bottle rockets, and matches. It was about five feet high and ten feet long, with a small opening at the top for someone to throw a match in.

"Is that safe?" Link asked P.T.

"Not really," P.T. cheerfully replied. He whistled as he threw more stuff in the barrel. All of Link's bombs went in, as well as some healing potions that P.T. claimed were 'highly flammable'. Then he put a layer of dried leaves and paper on top, to catch fire and make the explosion bigger.

He jumped down from the ladder he'd been on.

"All set, dudes. Anybody who ain't a Goron better hightail it back to the Shrine."

Here he looked pointedly at Zelda, who cocked an eyebrow.

"I'll use a shield," Zelda said, projecting her magical shield she'd used in the fight with Odolwa around herself, Kylia, and Tatl. Link put on the Goron mask.

P.T. tossed a lit match into the barrel.

It took perhaps ten second for the match to light up the layer of paper and start a real fire. Just as a thin wisp of smoke began to rise from the barrel, it exploded.

Of course this was a very grand event; with P.T. explosions usually were. Everyone ducked and yelled as it went off, shaking the ground, sending a shockwave that knocked over nearby trees. Then cheers were heard when they saw the rocks had indeed been reduced to gravel.

"Let the races begin, dudes," said P.T. "And dudettes," he added hastily, for the benefit of Link's companions, who were all female.

X

And so they raced. The Gorons rolled until they were sick with dizziness. Darmani and Link were of course the winners ("So what if using two people is cheating?" asked Link) and they received the day's prize, presented by Meegar.

"Awesome," Link said, grabbing the bottle from him. "But what is it?"

"I haven't a clue," Meegar said. "Things float through here sometimes, odd things just turn up. This is one of them."

Link studied the bottle; it wasn't glass, but something thinner and more flexible. Inside was dark liquid that bubbled when he shook it. It was wrapped in red paper around the middle, and on the paper were white letters, but Link couldn't read them.

"Maybe Doc knows," he said, shrugging.

"Maybe," Zelda agreed.

X

"_Coke!_" Doc said, laughing, when they asked him. Tayan and Ella had gone home, so he'd been there with just the two frogs.

"What?" Link asked. "What's Coke?"

"A drink," Doc told him. "Soda."

"Soda? Is that alcohol?"

"No, but it's pretty addictive. See, the letters even say Coke."

"I couldn't read them."

"They're in another language, my language. Called English."

"English..."

"Well, let's have at it, then," Doc told them. "Come on, you _do_ want to drink it, don't you?"

"Is it safe?" Tatl asked skeptically.

"Of course it is!"

Link shrugged. "Well, there's nothing else to do with it."

They split the bottle, which Doc informed them was made of plastic, and all drank a glass apiece at first. Doc was the first to sip his. He grimaced.

"Tastes a little different than I remember, more carbon in it I guess."

"Carbon?"

"Just drink it," Doc urged.

Link was the first to tip his head back and chug the glass. It sort of burned as it touched his mouth and throat, but it was nice at the same time. He grinned.

"Not that bad."

"Oh yeah?" Kylia asked, downing hers also. She let out a loud burp. "Oh my gosh! Sorry!"

Doc cracked up. "It does that to everybody," he said, letting out a burp of his own. Link, not wanting to miss this, gulped down some air and burped too.

"Eww," Tatl said, flying away from them. "I'm gonna pass out!" she whined. To annoy her, Link burped again. This caught on quickly; Doc shook his up and drank some more, causing his burp to be louder than the previous one, and Zelda tried hers cautiously at first, then let out a belch that topped them all.

"That was awesome," Link said, hooting with laughter. Zelda blushed. "What?" Link asked.

"Well princesses aren't really supposed to do that."

"Sheik would have done it," Link pointed out. He wanted her to remember to be who she was, instead of the princess everyone wanted her to be.

Zelda's face relaxed into a smile. "You're right," she told him, and let out another burp.

"You guys are so gross!" Tatl said.

"Try some, you'll like it," Doc said.

"No way."

"Do it!" Link shouted. Zelda, Kylia and Doc joined in, pounding the table to rouse her further. "_Do it! Do it! Do it!_"

"No!"

"_Do it!_"

"Leave me alone!"

"_DO IT!_"

"All right," Tatl cried at last. She flew down to Link's glass, sat uncertainly on the edge, and dipped her hands in it, cupping the stuff in them. She drank it all.

Silence.

"Well?" Doc asked.

Tatl let out a teeny tiny burp.

"Oh my gosh," she squeaked. "Oh my gosh!"

"What?" Link asked, eyes round.

"I'm gonna explode!" She burped again, a pretty good burp for such a little thing. "Oh, that feels better..." Another burp. "I think I could fly without my wings right now! I feel like a balloon!" She pounded her chest once and another burp followed.

Link started to snicker despite himself. "I wonder how Navi would have liked that..."

X

It was the second day of the three day cycle. Sheik, Tael, Ryn, and Navi were journeying from Sheik's home to the swamp, which was actually a fair walk. They had just arrived in the swamp as the sun set.

"Excuse me," Sheik asked the man at the counter of the boat ride shop, "Have you seen a man in green—no, sorry, a Deku Scrub—followed by a fairy, with a girl and a Gerudo?"

"Ehh..." the man scratched his head. "Can't say I have."

"This is hopeless, he would have forgotten like everyone!" Navi wailed when they got out.

"Not everyone," Sheik said. "We remembered. Maybe others here did too. We have to keep looking."

Ryn tugged on Sheik's sleeve and asked him something. He replied to her what was going on, and she laughed and spoke, making motions with her arms. Sheik laughed too.

"She says if he was here and nobody remembers him either, maybe he's a spirit," Sheik explained. "He's a real person," he informed Ryn in his own language. "Don't worry, we'll find him."

"Okay, brother," she replied. "But why is it so important?"

"He's a friend of friends."

Ryn smiled.

They waded through the swamp waters, Ryn receiving a piggy-back ride from her elder brother. They soon found the Potions Shop, ran by Koume and Kotake. Sheik climbed up the ladder and entered.

"Hello," he said to the woman at the counter. She had a blue jewel on her forehead, tan wrinkled skin, and white hair. Her eyes widened at the sight of him.

"You're _still_ cross-dressing?"

"What?" Sheik asked, utterly dumbfounded.

"You're still _alive_?" Navi squeaked.

"What?" Sheik asked again.

"Who are you?" Kotake asked them all, confused. "I know you," she pointed at Navi, "I remember you. And I remember you," she indicated Sheik, "but I thought you had gone back to looking like a girl now. I don't know you or you," she finished, pointing at Ryn and Tael.

It took some time to get the facts sorted out; Kotake was the same witch Navi had seen in the Spirit Temple—they had met before. Sheik was another person entirely, a real male and not cross-dressing. Tael and Ryn were native to this world and offered little confusion. Of course, after they had gotten it all straight, Koume came in and they had to explain it again.

"So," Navi said, "You've seen Link and Zelda and Kylia and...what was her name...Tatl?"

"Yes, we have," Kotake said. "They did something around here to restore the place and then they took off. We've been to the local villages, and we've gotten the explanation that..."

And here she explained to them that Link had used the Deku Mask to change forms, that they had used the time-cycle to keep repeating the three days, and that anyone who watched this would get drawn into the cycle.

"And that's why Ryn and I keep repeating it," Sheik said. "We were watching the moon on the third day...the first time. Kotake, do you know where they went?"

"I truly don't," Kotake said. "But I can offer you a boat ride—"

"I run the boats!" Koume protested, sour. She didn't like any friends of the ones who'd defeated her.

"—and you're being rude, so I'm offering the ride for you. I can offer you a boat ride to the local villages. They could probably tell you. It also goes to the Deku Palace, though I'm sure you wouldn't be able to understand any of them."

"The villages," Navi mused. "Is it likely they went there?"

"Highly," Kotake said. "I heard they rescued the monkey who was being blamed for setting the swamp on fire by clearing his name."

"Yes, we'd love to see the villages, then," Navi said.

"Good, go on out and I'll get the damn boat." Kotake glared at her sister, who exited the room in a huff. Sheik, Ryn, and Tael started down the ladder.

"So, tell me," Navi asked, "How did you meet up with Kylia and escape with your lives?"

Kotake just smiled at her and ushered her out the door.

X

"Doc, what in the world are you doing?" Zelda asked, her eyes wide.

Doc was dragging out something very large that was in a wooden crate. He grunted.

"Exercising."

"Let me help," Link offered, pulling the crate with him until it was in the center of the floor.

"This is what I do in my spare time," Doc said. "In my world we had a type of magic called electricity. It powered everything we used. So I try to create things from my world using the type of magic you have here."

"You can use magic?" Zelda asked, intrigued.

"Well, no, not really. I use science."

Doc opened up the crate. Inside was a fat, square, metal pillar, about as tall as he was. When it got to about his waist, the pillar sort of slanted off a bit, as if a section had been cut off. There was a small window on the part that leveled off the be flat again that could not be seen through, and on the slanted part, there was a button and a stick.

"May I present to you, Space Invaders, the world's best arcade game," Doc said proudly. "Video games are the wave of the future, kids! At least they were where I came from."

"You come from a weird place," Zelda said.

"What does this do?" Kylia asked. She walked around it, inspecting it.

"And what the hell is a video game?" Link asked. "It sounds kind of weird to me."

Doc grinned. "Watch." He flipped the on switch to connect certain wires, but nothing happened. That was okay though. He scooped up some water from the pump and poured it into the machine.

"There's a little waterwheel in there," he explained, "which is how I generate my electricity." He poured in several more cups, and the water started coming out of a little spout near the ground, into a bucket. The window lit up, and little dots started flying around in it. Everyone was impressed.

Needless to say, the game caught on quickly and soon they were all hooked. Link wound up getting the best score out of all of them, playing it over and over until he ran out of levels.

"You glitched it, I haven't created level twenty-six yet," he accused Link. "That's ridiculously high."

"Sorry," Link said, grinning sheepishly. The machine was put away, to be tinkered with at another time.

X

Sheik held Ryn's hand as they walked through the woods. She was quite accustomed to forests, as was everyone else in the group, but it was still scary to her to be in so many new places so fast, when she had never before left the forests of the outskirts of her little village.

"Look, flowers!" Ryn said happily to Sheik, falling on her knees to pick a few for her hair. They were all daisies, but they were very large and she couldn't resist them.

"Flowers." Sheik said the word for her in Navi and Tatl's language, and she smiled, pronouncing it back slowly.

"That was pretty good," Navi said. She watched Ryn gather up the daises and make a chain out of them.

"What are you doin' t'my flowers!"

A voice, a female voice with a very thick accent bellowed down from the top of the trees, making them all jump.

A white monkey fell out of the trees from above. She realized she'd scared Ryn and rubbed the back of her head.

"Sorry, mates," the money said, extending a hand to Ryn as an apology. Ryn made a little noise and hid behind Sheik.

"She can't understand you," Tael told the monkey. "She only speaks on language."

"Oh." The monkey looked rather put out. "Well tell her it's all right. She seems t'enjoy it so. I just breed 'em here so as to have loads for parties. They'd get picked anyway."

Sheik translated and Ryn smiled at the monkey.

"She has fur all over," Ryn said to Sheik. "Doesn't she get hot?"

Sheik laughed. "I don't think so," he told her. "Listen, miss," he began, switching languages, "Could you—"

"Oh _don't_ call me miss," the monkey said with a terrible shudder. "My name is Ella, mates, pleased t'meetcha."

Sheik introduced himself and his companions.

"...and this fairy here, the white one, is Navi."

"Y'don't say!" Ella said, looking thunderstruck. "I wager Link'll be right happy to see you. Navi this, Navi that, you're giving him gray hairs with how worried he's been!"

Navi's jaw dropped.

"You've seen _Link_?" she cried.

"Yup. We're good friends now. He saved m'brother Tayan, too."

"Is he _here_?" Navi asked, looking around everywhere as though her charge, her friend, was hiding behind a bush nearby.

"No, he's left. Have you heard the cycle story?"

"Yes, I have. Where did he leave to?"

"Well he went off to see the Gorons." Ella sighed at their confused faces. "I'll explain. Come stay the night with us, and we'll chat about it over dinner. You can find him tomorrow."

X

So Ella brought them to her home, which she shared with Ninym and Tayan, and soon enough the seven of them were seated outside in the branches of a large tree, looking up at the stars and the ever-menacing moon, exchanging information and talking happily.

"So," Navi said, "Let me get this straight. Link can turn into a Deku Scrub and a Goron at will?"

"Aye, and it's damn annoying, too," Ella complained. She, as a monkey, easily loped from one tree branch to another while she spoke, simply because she was unable to sit still. Tayan grabbed her and yanked her down; she yelped and fell several branches below his level. "Rotten bastard," she said bitterly, pulling herself back up.

Ryn laughed.

"She's awfully energetic, I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like her," she told her brother. "Or any of them, for that matter. I still think I would get hot with all that fur."

Sheik just ruffled her hair, laughing a little himself. He was just as fascinated as she was, he just hid it better. His eyes, still soft ruby red, since he had not gone into Clocktown yet and had no need to change their color, scanned the sky.

"And this Zelda, she dressed up as me?"

"Yes," said Navi. "Only I don't think she's ever met you before, how could she have? You left during the Wars and she was born on the day they ended." Navi remembered that day only all too well, and let her mind cast around for another subject. "Oh I just can't believe I'm finally so close to seeing him again," she said, smiling, a giddy feeling of happiness sweeping through her. No one needed to ask who she meant.

"I'm sure he misses you as much as you miss him," Tael told her, landing lightly on the branch next to her.

"I'm just glad he's okay," Navi said. "Apparently working miracles already."

Link had come into their lives in a time when it was so dark, the clouds that covered Hyrule blocked out the sun. And he had saved them returned Hyrule to a state greater than it had been before. Now they were all facing eternity—cycling three days over and over—or watching as they, along with an entire world, were utterly annihilated. Link, she knew, had faith in this, would save them again.

"Apparently nothing," Ella said, interrupting Navi's brooding.

"If not for him, I'd've died," Tayan said. "He saved my life...he returned the princess to her proper home...set the swamp back to normal...it all seems like miracles to me."

Navi smiled.

**A/N:** Since it has been forever I won't bother responding to reviews because you probably forgot what the hell you said. If you have a question or something though, just repeat it and I'll answer it.

Thank you. I love you all, I adore you. Goodbye, see you next chapter!


	29. Chapter TwentyEight: Romani's New Friend

**Author's Notes: **Eee! I think I've really broken my lethargy-ness this time! It's so exciting! Anyway, I have another chapter up for you now, a little more than just a filler chapter, as this starts off the Ranch Sidequest. I hope you enjoy it (it's quite long so I had to cut a bit off to make it shorter) and I hope I'll get back to you with another chapter soon!

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Romani's New Friend

The next morning found them all still wide-awake and talking, save for Ryn, who'd fallen asleep on Sheik's shoulder. When the sun started to rise, however, Navi remembered that Link had gone to see the Gorons, and immediately started pestering everyone that it was time to _go_.

So they _went_.

They were there by noon—it was a long hike, but they had taken the shortcut through Clocktown (Sheik had easily been able to change his eyes and Ryn's eyes to the color blue). They found the mountain scenery to be beautiful, and ooh'ed and ahh'ed over everything.

"Look at the flowers!" Navi said.

"Look at these trees!" Tael replied. "They're all so tall!"

"This is nothing compared to the Lost Woods though."

"I know."

"But this is so much better than Death Mountain. This one actually has grass and life and all..."

"Well, this is a mountain, not a volcano."

"Good point!"

Sheik smiled, listening to their chattering. He'd become quite fond of these two fairies over the time they'd spent together. He could tell Ryn was too. And why not? They were fun to be around—for creatures so small, they sure had a lot of energy, which made for quirky personalities—

His broodings were rudely interrupted when he had to jump out of the way of ...something. It sped by them so fast their hair was whipping in the wind after it had gone. Sheik, who'd landed on his backside, cursed in Shekiah and got to his feet, then yelled and pulled Ryn out of the way as the thing came back, crashed into a nearby wall of rock, and lay still.

"Are you okay?" he asked Ryn.

"I think I am," she replied. "What _was_ that?"

"I don't know..."

They all approached the pile of rubble cautiously. All the sudden it rumbled and they jumped back. Then Navi relaxed and started to laugh as the thing that had nearly ran them over pulled itself out of the mess.

"Hiya," said the Goron.

"Hi," Navi said, giggling.

Ryn was frightened; she had never seen nor heard of a Goron before. Sheik started explaining what the thing was and that wouldn't hurt her while Navi and Tael continued to converse with the Goron.

"Sorry about that," the Goron said sheepishly. "I'm not a great roller. I was practicing for the races. Now that we've got the course open again and all the snow is gone, they're the only thing to do around here!"

"I guess..."

"Hey, so, who are you guys? We don't get humans around here often."

"Well," technically none of them were human, per say, but that didn't really matter—the Goron wouldn't know what a Shekiah was. "We're here looking for a friend of ours," she said. "I'm Navi, this is Tael, that guy is Sheik, and that's his little sister, Ryn. She can't understand us," Navi added, as the Goron started to say hi to her.

"Oh," the Goron said. "Well to apologize for almost running you over, I'll help you find your friend, if they're here. I'm Knack, pleased t'meetcha."

Sheik finished calming Ryn, and she smiled at the Goron, who grinned back at her. Knack introduced himself to Sheik and he apologized again for almost hitting them.

"I really was out of control...couldn't've stopped myself if I wanted, and believe me, I really wanted to!"

"That's okay, I understand."

"So who's this friend of yours?" Knack asked as they walked to the Goron Village.

"Oh," Navi said. "Well, actually, there are four of them. Their names are Link, Zelda, Kylia, and Tatl. Um, Link's a blond, and he wears—"

"I know Link," Knack said, waving a hand. "He's famous around here."

This sounded oddly like the swamp story.

"Y'don't say."

"Yeah, he saved us! No joke!"

Definitely like the swamp story. Maybe Link just had a knack for this stuff?

She stared at the Goron before her. Bad pun.

"What did he do?" Navi asked him.

And so as they walked, Knack told them all about Darmani and Link being one person and them stopping the snow. Halfway through this story they made it to P.T.'s cave and P.T. joined in on this commentary.

"Wow," Sheik said, when they were through. "I haven't met him, but Link sounds...well..."

"Yeah," Navi said. "Where is he now?" she asked Knack.

"Oh, he's gone," Knack said. "He's at old Doc's place."

Navi exchanged a Look with Sheik. This was turning out to be some goose chase.

"...so I'm thinking," Link said, "If P.T. could blow up the boulder at the racetrack, he can blow up the boulder blocking that other road."

"So?" asked Tatl. She swiped a piece of vegetable off of Link's plate (they were having a late lunch, which Doc insisted they take with him—"I need to work on my cooking skills!") and began munching on it. Link glared.

"So," he said, "Obviously that woman has a reason for wanting me to go there."

"Oh _here_ we go—"

"Shut up." Link swatted at her. "You met her, you can't say I'm nuts now."

"Watch me!"

Zelda started to snicker at them.

"I think it'd be a good idea to unblock the road," Kylia said. "No harm in helping them out a little."

"Yeah, the folks at the ranch won't starve any time soon, but I still reckon they need to get out of there eventually," Doc said.

"It's a ranch?" Link asked. Just like Lon Lon Ranch. He suddenly missed Malon terribly, and Epona, who he knew he'd never see again.

_Damn skull kid, killing my horse._

He missed Talon, too, and Johan and the Inn and...

"Yup," Doc said. "Like I said, they make really good stuff...the best damn eggs and milk in the world."

"In _this_ world, maybe," Link countered, thinking of Lon Lon Ranch again. "Seriously, after breakfast, let's go find P.T."

"Okay, okay," Zelda said. "Now eat before it gets cold."

She kissed Link on the cheek and he grinned.

"I guess we should cut through Clocktown again," Sheik said. "They said the passage was through that way, right?"

"Right," replied Tael. "Do you remember the code?"

"Ryn does," Sheik said. At the sound of her name, Ryn looked over at him, and asked him a question.

"What?" said Navi.

"Oh, she just wants to know what we're saying about her," Sheik said, quickly translating for Ryn. She recited the number proudly, so that Navi and Tael could understand too, then beamed at how impressed they were.

"That's the entrance...I think," Tael said. He flew over to the little boy.

"Code," the boy said.

Ryn recited it for him and he let them by. They started walking down the secret passage.

"You know, it's a really pretty day," Kylia said, "Why don't we hop the fence and walk through the field, instead of going through Clocktown?"

"Sure," Link said. "Race you." He was up and running before Kylia and so beat her to the fence, but she hopped it before he managed to climb over it, and gloated to him the entire way to the mountains.

Navi zipped ahead of her companions into the house of Doc.

"This place is a rainbow," Ryn told her brother in amazement, excited. Sheik laughed, agreeing with her.

"Hello?" Navi called. "Anyone here?"

"Tatl?" someone called. Tael gasped and Navi frowned. An old man with a long beard—really, that was the first thing she noticed—walked out of a room to her right. He smiled at her. "Sorry. I thought you were someone else. How can I help you? I'm Doc," he said, bowing.

"I'm Navi," Navi said, bobbing in the air, "And this is Tael, and Sheik, and Ryn. I'm looking for Link."

Doc stared. Navi stared back at him.

"_You're_ Navi?" he asked. "No joke?"

"No joke."

"Goddamn, he will be happy to see you."

"Where is he?" asked Navi.

"Er...he left."

"Left?" Navi was growing frustrated. "To where?"

"To see the Gorons."

Sheik started to chuckle.

"If we don't stop looking for him we'll never find him."

It was decided that they would stay in one place (the observatory, at Doc's insistence) and wait for them to come back. This made Navi more fidgety, but she agreed it was the best plan they had. She sighed.

"So where did you say they were going?"

"To see the Gorons to get a fella to blow up a rock, then they're going to the ranch near here."

Navi sighed again, resting her head on her arms. Man, did she ever miss Link...

"Sure, I'll blow the thing up for you," P.T. said happily. "No problem, dudes."

"I'm not a dude!" grumbled three angry female voices.

"Er, dude and dudettes," P.T. corrected himself. "Yeah. Just lemme get a powder keg ready."

"A what...?" Zelda blinked at him.

"Powder keg. World's most powerful portable bomb."

It was pretty big—Link had to admit he would not have been able to budge it except as a Goron. P.T., however, seemed to think it was too light—he added about a gallon of gunpowder to it, along with some matches and paper shreds.

"Aw yeah, this'll be great," P.T. said. "Just wait and turn back the clocks, first, dudes. Cause otherwise this bomb won't be the only thing blowing up."

"Oh, yeah," Link said. "I'd almost forgotten it was the third day already..." He shuddered.

To think what would happen to them if he really forgot!

So Link turned back time, and after what seemed like five minutes of white wind going everywhere, they were jumped back into the morning of day one.

"Okay," P.T. said. "Let's blow her to hell, dudes."

"We are not dudes!"

"Sorry."

P.T. certainly made an odd sight. Carrying a two-ton barrel filled to the brim with gunpowder over his back, along with the goggles on his head, his burn, and accompanied by two Hylians or humans (one of which would mysteriously walk behind a building as a Hylian and come out from the other side as a Deku), a Gerudo, and a fairy, one couldn't help but spare at least a second glance. But it didn't bother him. He waved cheerfully, usually almost dropping the powder keg when he did (poor Tatl kept panicking, thinking too much shaking it would make it explode, until P.T. explained it had to be lighted first), and people, staring, usually waved back in a shocked and amused sort of way.

"Humans are so weird," P.T. chuckled. "Like they've never seen a Goron before." He nodded at a old woman, who was staring at him with a look of incredulity on her face. She beamed and waved cheerily.

"You're enjoying yourself," Link accused.

P.T. grinned good-naturedly.

"And what if I am?"

"Well you can't have _all_ the fun."

They passed behind the Clock Tower and Link quickly changed into a Deku while no one was looking. The old woman, who had seen them go behind the tower and watched them come out, frowned in confusion.

Link and P.T. snickered.

"It's not funny," Zelda said. "You should respect the elderly."

"It's not harming her," Kylia said. "And it _is_ funny."

"Isn't," Zelda said, but she was smiling.

"This is it?" P.T. asked in disappointment. The boulder, which was very big, loomed over them, giving a shadow large enough for all of them and the powder keg to fit in.

"It's not so big like you said," P.T. said, getting to work. "The one on the track was bigger. Move," he added, to the workmen, who were staring at him. "I'm getting rid of this for you. Free of charge. But if you don't want to get blown up with it, get far away."

The men stared. Kylia took one of them by the arm, and started to escort him away, just joking around, pretending like he was too shocked to move. This, however, stirred him back to life, and he jerked away from her.

"Don't you get near me, you damn pirate, I'm not about to be pickpocketed." And he stalked off in a huff.

His partner stared after him.

"Sorry about him," the other man said, rubbing the back of his neck. "He's just a little..."

"Excuse me," Kylia told him. She shouted to the first man, who ignored her.

"Kylia..." Link, who had indeed endured plenty of hurtful words but never racism, couldn't really tell her to let it go. He had never been there, and it would have felt wrong. She raised an eyebrow at him, face nearly expressionless. Then she ran off after the worker, grabbed him by the collar, jerked him around, and in one swift move, had him up against the wall of rock that outlined the path to the ranch. Suddenly her new captive seemed to warm up a bit to her.

"H-hey lady, come on, I didn't mean no harm..."

Kylia glared at him, drew back her hand. Everyone present held their breaths. Then:

"Sorry for ripping your shirt," Kylia sang merrily. She used the hand to brush off the dirt and dust on his shoulder, then gently set him down. She bowed to him and handed him a blue rupee. "That should pay for fixing it, okay? Have a nice day!" Then she _skipped_ away, to her companions. All of them (save for P.T., who hadn't been listening to a word of this conversation and was happily setting up his bomb) stared at her.

"See, _that_ was funny," Kylia said. She grinned and held up two fingers, and then Link and Zelda started laughing with ehr.

She would never come to know of it, but after that man walked away from her, he never again spoke another word against the Gerudo.

"Three," P.T. said.

"You just _skipped_," Link told Kylia.

"I know. It was kind of fun. Maybe I'll do it again sometime."

Unbeknownst to them, the other workman had started running away.

"Two," said P.T.

"Two what?" asked Link.

P.T. pointed at his _lit bomb_, which they were all standing right next to. Obviously it wouldn't hurt _his_ thick hide, but...

"Oh jeez!" Link yelped.

P.T. said "one" right about the same time Zelda put up a force field around them. A split second later, the bomb exploded with a resounding crash, and fragments of rock flew everywhere, then started raining down on them. Link and Zelda both winced, and she instinctively grabbed his hand. That made them look at each other, wide-eyed, the realization hitting them both like a brick wall.

The explosion was over; the dust cleared and settled and the force field vanished. Link and Zelda were still staring at each other, Link's left hand grasped in Zelda's right one.

"What?" Kylia asked. Link caught Zelda's eye, then replied that it was nothing. He would talk to her about it later, when they were by themselves or perhaps just with Kylia. He gave her a look too, and she didn't press it. Instead she just shrugged, and grinned at P.T.

"_Duuude_," she said, mimicking him. "That was one awesome explosion, _duuude_!"

P.T. cracked up.

"Do I really sound like that?"

"Sometimes."

P.T. soon departed, saying he absolutely hated horses and would rather go swallow his own cherry bombs than be near one. After watching him roll out of sight (wildly and dangerously off-course), Link stretched, then looked towards the road ahead.

"So this is Milk Road."

"Yup," replied Tatl.

"I wonder why _she_ would want me to come here," Link murmured, rubbing the back of his hand, the one with the triangle on it.

"Let's find out," Zelda suggested, swatting Tatl away before the fairy could make another jab at Link's sanity.

So they walked. And walked. And walked, and walked, and walked...

"Milk Road is long," Link commented after awhile.

"Well it's faster on horseback, so if you had a—oh." Tatl had started to speak, but then shut up, remembering that Link didn't have a horse because of her mischief. "Well maybe we can loan horses here," she said brightly.

Link glared at her. He'd never ride another horse if he could help it. Epona had been special to him.

Soon enough, to everyone's relief (none of them liked the awkward silence) they happened upon Romani Ranch. It was larger than Lon Lon Ranch, though they used some of the land for farming crops instead of using it all for cattle. Their barn was smaller, as well, but they had another building next to it, and beside that building was a grl of about Link's age with brilliant red hair, working hard to put the crops into the said building.

Link exchanged a glance with Zelda and Kylia.

"Couldn't be," he said, doubt lacing his voice.

"It looks just like her." Kylia squinted.

"Like who?" Tatl asked.

"Our friend Malon," replied Zelda.

Their jaws dropped as she turned towards them and waved in greeting. From the distance, it was hard to tell, but it looked _just_ like Malon. She let out an ear-piercing whistle, and there was a whinny from nearby.

Everyone exchanged glances again, recognizing that sound.

"But it _couldn't_ be," Link said again. "Could it?"

A horse galloped into view, with a beautiful copper coat and a white mane and tail. The girl with red hair swung up onto it easily and started riding towards them.

"Holy shit. Holy _shit_."

"Watch your language!" Zelda admonished.

"That's my horse!"

"Holy shit."

The girl reached them and climbed off, brushing off her skirt.

"Hi," she said, and even her voice sounded like Malon's, except it had a light kind of drawl to it, and she spoke in a slower, more relaxed way. She squinted at them. "Are you all okay? Did I do somethin' wrong?"

Link blinked. Then he started laughing. Epona was nuzzling against him happily, making little noises and nearly knocking him over.

"Sorry about him," Zelda said. "It's just, that's his horse, and he thought it died, but it turns out it didn't, and when we saw you with it, it just, well, surprised us, because you look a lot like someone we know..."

"But isn't she Malon?" Kylia asked.

Zelda shook her head.

"No. You have green eyes," she told the girl. "Malon's eyes are like Link's."

"Well, I'm sorry, but I've never met anyone named Malon..."

"I know. But you look lot like her. That's why his horse likes you, because his horse likes Malon too."

"That's his horse?" the girl asked.

"Yeah," Zelda said. "He's been so upset, too, I'm glad we found her."

Link got up, ran far away from Epona, and whistled the song he used to call her. She reared up on her back legs and bolted towards him. Kylia joined in this game, and was quickly followed by Tatl, leaving Zelda and the Malon clone to chat alone.

"He missed her," Zelda said. "Um...anyway, my name is Zelda, and the woman there is Kylia, and the fairy is Tatl, and the guy going nuts over there is Link—"

"What do you call the horse? For the life of me I can't get her to answer to anything but a whistle."

_And not even that if you didn't look so much like Malon,_ Zelda thought silently.

"Her name is Epona," Zelda told her. "What's your name?"

"Oh, I'm Cremia!" she said brightly, bowing slightly. "Welcome to Romani's Ranch. What brings you here?"

"Well, we thought we'd see how you were doing...that boulder's been blocking the road for an awfully long time."

"Boulder?" Cremia asked. "Ah...can't've that long, we left here a week ago last time."

"You mean you haven't left here for a _week_?"

"Nope."

"And you didn't even know there _was_ a boulder?"

"Nope."

"Wow."

"It's an awful long walk back," Cremia said. "Would you all like to spend the night? Least we can do if you unblocked the road for us."

"We'd be very grateful, thank you," Zelda said, bowing a little. "Li-ink," she sang.

Link stopped in his steps and Epona ran into him, knocking him over. Zelda winced.

"_Oof!_ Yes?"

"This is Cremia," Zelda said, taking him by the hand as though he were a toddler and leading him over. "She's going to let us stay the night so we won't have to make that long walk again."

"Sweet. Thank you. You know, you look an awful lot like my cousin Malon."

Cremia laughed. "I've heard. You all c'mon inside, won'tcha?"

Link hugged Epona and led her back so she could stand beside the house, as Cremia lead them indoors. The house was white, on top of a hill, the highest hill, about forty feet from the barn. Cuccos surrounded it, pecking at the ground, and Link, used to visiting the real Malon often, stepped over them with ease. It was when a cow from somewhere behind him let out a sort of low sleepy noise behind him that he jumped about a mile, not only scaring the chickens and causing them to squawk and fly everywhere (there was a small explosion of feathers) but also making himself fall over backwards in the process of trying to turn around. Kylia burst into giggles and had to muffle them behind her hands.

Zelda shook her head, amused, and knelt next to Link, retrieving his hat as he scooted backwards and brushing the cucco feathers off of it.

"Here, silly."

Link, face red, got up, brushed himself off, made a face at the cow, and took it from her. Cremia stared at him.

"Um," she started, "what...?"

"He's afraid of cows," Kylia said, voice muffled.

"I am not!" he yelped. "It just startled me." With as much dignity as was possible in the given situation, he straightened his hat, smoothed his tunic, and followed Cremia into the house. Kylia and Zelda went behind him, Kylia leaning into Zelda's shoulder in an effort to support herself (she was still giggling madly). Tatl, rolling her eyes, trailed behind them. Cremia shut the door, turned around, and smiled brightly. She opened her mouth to speak.

At which point Link fell down _again_ due to being tackled in the waist by something very fast and very orange.

"_Ow!_"

"You came here to help didn't you! Oh I _knew_ sister would get someone! _Thank_ you!"

"Romani!" Cremia admonished, eyes wide.

The small girl that had attacked Link allowed herself to be pried off and she grinned proudly. Link, Zelda, and Kylia all exchanged the same glance they had when they first saw Cremia. This was a spitting image of what Malon would have looked like when she was younger, save for the eyes—they were green like Cremia's.

"Romani," Cremia said, "These people are our _guests_. They've come back to get that horse and they unblocked the road for us."

"See! I _told_ you the aliens blocked it!" the younger girl said, throwing an accusing finger at Cremia, who sighed and began rubbing her temples. "Why don't you ever believe me? The aliens did it, I know they did! They do every year!"

Aliens? Link's ears perked up. Like Space Invaders?

"Romani, sweetheart, I just can't believe that _aliens_ take our cows every year—I'm sorry, that's just absurd. Please apologize."

"Sorry," mumbled Romani. "For trying to help!" she yelled, turning to face Cremia on that one. She grabbed a bow and a quiver off the table and stormed outside.

"So...was that your daughter?" Link asked. Cremia's eyes went wide.

"Am I that old? No, she's my little sister. Our parents are dead so I take care of her. And, well...she's really a handful Somethin's got her convinced that every year _aliens_ steal our cows from the barn. Of course it's just thieves and all, but you know how kids are."

"Yeah," Zelda said, throwing a pointed glance at Link. He made a face at her. "I rest my case."

Dusk was falling. The sky grew darker and the stars brighter. Outside next to the barn, an arrow flew through the air, hitting the barn wall, and there was a small "dammit" uttered just the next split second later.

"Stupid Cremia," Romani muttered viciously. "It's all her fault they get taken anyway. She never believes me!" Romani aimed at another target, which had been painted on the wall of the barn, and shot. It hit almost at the center with a satisfying thwack.

"Nice shot."

Romani jumped and turned around. Standing behind her were one of their guests, the blonde guy. She smiled.

"Thanks. I've been practicing a long time."

"Me too," he said. He grinned. "It's a lot of fun."

Romani grinned back at him.

"Sure is. Will you show me how you shoot?"

"Sure," Link agreed. "It's Romani, right?"

"Right. I'm named after the ranch. Or maybe the ranch is named after me. I'm not sure. What's your name?"

"Link."

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

Link whistled trough his teeth for Epona (with the notes she recognized and not just a normal whistle) and she trotted up to him. He patted her, kissed her nose, and climbed on top.

"What are you doing?" Romani asked.

"Oh, I'm just showing off."

"Okay..."

Link grinned at her and held up two fingers. Then he back Epona up a little and made her shoot forward, and while she was galloping, Link took out his arrows and shot at the five targets on the barn wall. Each of them hit the center.

"Wow!" Romani was clapping her hands in delight. "That was awesome."

"Whoah." Link halted Epona and got off of her, and stroked her head as Romani ran over to him. "Hmm. You think so?"

"Yeah," Romani said. "I'd never be able to do that in a million years."

"Well, to be fair, my mom was really, really good at it. So I inherited some of that."

"Really? What does she say about it?"

Link stopped mid-stroke in petting Epona.

"Well...they...nothing, really. She died when I was really little, both my parents did. So I don't really know what they'd think."

Romani regarded him a minute.

"Sorry," she said at last. Link stared to tell her not to apologize, but she continued, "That stinks. My parents died when I was little too, so I know how you feel, like maybe a chunk of your heart's missing, right?"

Link nodded.

"We got our mom's red hair, and you got your mom's arrow-shootin' skills though, so that's something. Cremia says our parents probably couldn't have shot an arrow if their life depended on it, though. So I have to practice a lot. I think my mom would have been proud at how good I got. But she didn't really get to know me either. She died having me and my father just wasted away from bein' lonely after that cause he wouldn't eat and he couldn't sleep. He didn't even make it a whole year without her. So my sister Cremia takes care of me now."

Romani's face contorted into an angry frown.

"But she never believes me about anything! She always treats me like I'm still just a baby. And she never has time to spend with me because we don't have enough cows because every years they get stolen and we can't buy them back fast enough. We don't have the money. Our ranch—my mom and dad's _ranch_—is gonna _close_."

"That _bites_," Link said, sympathetically. He plopped down on the grass and she plopped down next to him.

Romani sighed.

"So why is our guest hanging out outside with a little kid, anyways?" she asked.

"Well, they kept teasing me about being childish," Link said, starting to laugh. "So I guess we're in the same boat there."

Romani smiled.

"You know," Link said, "Your ranch shouldn't have to close down because of thieves. I hear you have the best produce around."

"We do," Romani said proudly. "But every year the aliens block up our roads and they takes some cows. Then the day after that we usually get robbed taking what milk we do have up the road."

Link rose an eyebrow at her. "Seriously? _Aliens_ take your cows?"

"You don't believe me either!" Romani shouted, getting to her feet. "No one does! But I'm telling the truth, and I'm stickin' to that, there's aliens that come every year and—"

"Calm down, calm down," Link said, getting to his feet too and laying a hand on her arm. "I believe you, for Farore's sakes."

"Who?"

"Um...never mind. Anyway, I believe you're telling the truth. But why don't you just wake our sister up and show her them?"

Romani sighed and sat back down. Link followed suit.

"Because every year I have to get my bow and shoot down as many as I can. They take less cows that way."

"You shoot them?"

"Yup," replied Romani. "It's all I can do."

"I'll help you."

Romani's eyes widened. She stood again.

"R-really? Are you serious?"

"Sure," Link said easily. "I'm a good shot. Maybe we can stop them."

Romani beamed up at her new friend.

**AN:** Meh. I always thought Romani and Link had a lot in common in the game (archery, horses), soo...there we go. Or maybe that was my over-active imagination. Who cares? It seems to work okay here, right?

Responses because I haven't in forever.

(Oh, when I said a YEAR, I meant almost a year. Really it was about ten and a half months. Sorry for that confusion!)

Anyways.

**Uguisu:** Thanks for the compliment. I'm glad you like my stories, and I promise to TRY HARDER from now on.  
**MogGuy:** Oh. Well, in the last chapter, they met up with Tayan and Ella again—they just swapped stories. It's assumed that they'd fill each other in after awhile of not seeing each other. Sorry if I confused you. TT;  
**Pata Hikari:** OMG I KNOW: D  
**C. Shannon:** Don't worry, I'd NEVER abandon a fic. This one will be finished eventually, I swear, and so will the ones I plan to write after it.  
**Chocopop:** Eee, sorry. I HAVE been told fics that don't follow canon are hard to get back into. I'll try to update more often, promise. And hey, you aren't THAT old. It hasn't been a WHOLE year.  
**pengurl:** Thanks. You don't know how rough it is with people screaming "UPDATE!" at you all the time when you really just CAN'T. I appreciate you being so patient, but fear not, cause I'm going to be better about it from now on. :happy face:  
**J-boy:** To answer your questions: Can't tell you who the people are, nor what they're for—but they're in Navi's dream because the characters are going to start having reoccurring prophetic dreams warning against SOMETHING, that something being events that happen at the end of this book. As for the mysterious woman, I'm not telling you that, nor will it be revealed in this book. Probably will be in book six/seven. But I AM going to give a huge obvious subtext that should be easy enough for you, the reader, to figure out without out and out saying her name is blah blah blah and without revealing her identity to the characters. Your idea about the FD mask is a good one, but I was going to twist the canon a little more than that. Okay, a lot more than that. It will be included, just not as canon as giving four kids four masks. I mean really, nothing I do is perfect canon, so...yeah.


	30. Chapter TwentyNine: Ghostbusters

**Author's Notes: **I'm baaaack. First, let me give you a cheese warning: This chapter's a little cheesy. I like it that way. HELLO, look at the end to the previous fic! I like my clichés and cheesiness. I can't help it.

Anyway, I'm not yet through with the Romani's Ranch part of the game yet, but this finished the first day, pretty much. I'm having fun writing this. I like Romani's Ranch. :happy face:

Not much left to say. Enjoy the chapter. And all of its references to outside sources. :grimace: Sorry. But aliens? It's just such a good thing to pick at.

Oh yeah. If you can't handle mature jokes, leave. Cause Link attempts to peep at Zelda. XP

_**HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO CHOCOPOP!**_

_**THANK YOU FOR BEING A FAITHFUL REVIEWER, AND MAY YOUR NEXT YEAR BE FILLED WITH JOY, HARMONY, GOOD FANFICTION, AND PIES.**_

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Ghostbusters

"So anyways," Zelda said, still giggling, "Link goes in the barn to _find_ Malon, because he's been looking all over the place for her. And he hears someone in the stall, moving around, and it is her, but on the way there I come in and apparently going in there gets him really jumpy, because I said hi to him and he jumped a mile."

"But how can he be scared of _cows_?" Cremia asked. "I've been working this ranch since I could walk and never have I met anyone who's bothered by a _cow_."

"Link's full of quirks," Kylia said. "Take her for example," and Kylia nodded towards Tatl, who had gotten bored of this long ago and fallen asleep on the back of Kylia's chair. "She was partially at fault for getting him turned into a Deku Scrub."

"He was turned into a scrub? How?"

"Well, it's a long story, but get this. After he gets turned into a scrub and mopes about it forever, we get the opportunity to change him back and in the end it turns out he liked being a scrub."

"How could you like being made of wood...?"

"Search me."

Just then, Link and Romani walked in. Well, a more appropriate term would have been barged in. Romani was running as fast as humanly possible and Link was chasing her—but hanging back to let her win.

"No!" shrieked Romani, giggling, as he finally caught up to her and started tickling her. "Stop it!" She yanked his hat off of his head and he stopped dead.

"Hey!"

"Nyah nyah," Romani taunted, holding it out of his reach. He dived for it, but she simply jerked it out of his way and landed on the floor.

The people at the table watched this in stunned silence.

"Gimme that back!" Link yelped. Romani's eyes went wide, and, giggling madly, she started running again, thundering up the stairs and into her room, slamming the door shut behind her. Link banged on the door for a minute, then came back down the stairs, grumbling, and walked out the door, running an agitated hand through his now messy blonde hair.

A few minutes later they heard something hard strike the house outside, and the dishes on the table shook slightly.

"What in the world...?" Cremia asked, getting to her feet.

"Told you Link was quirky," Kylia said. "Relax, that's probably just the hookshot. Sound like it, Zelda?"

Zelda nodded. "Yeah. I'd recognize the sound."

Soon after that, there was another loud noise; Zelda recognized it as the metallic sound of the chain in the mechanism drawing up. There was a loud thud in Romani's room, foolowed by an uttered curse, and a "How did you _do_ that?" from Romani.

"Gimme my hat!"

"Eek!"

Romani squealed and thundered back down the stairs, Link hot on her heels. He caught up to her again and snatched the hat away, placing it carefully back on his head.

He saw everyone staring and then exchanged a glance with Romani. They both blushed.

"Um, sorry about that," Link said. "We were just, um, training."

"Training?" Cremia repeated.

"No!" Romani said. Cremia heard that word and assumed Romani was starting up with the alien thing again. "I mean, Link was training. I was playing." She elbowed him in the ribs. He grimaced.

"Right. _She_ was playing."

"Looks like you were, too," Zelda said, amused.

"So what? Keeps me young." He grinned at her. Romani took the opportunity to steal his hat again.

"Hey!" he yelped. She giggled and ran out of the house. Link sulked for a moment, grumbling under his breath, then took off like a shot after her.

Silence.

"He'd make a good father," Kylia said.

"Probably, he seems to like kids," Cremia said.

Kylia grinned at Zelda.

"Don't you think he'd make a good father, Zelda?"

Zelda was crimson.

"And with that, ladies, I shall be retiring. I bid you good night."

And up the stairs she went.

Kylia snickered.

"She only talks like that when you hit a nerve," she said, leaning back in her chair with a satisfied smirk.

Tatl rolled to the floor.

"Oww!"

"Oh, didn't see you there. Sorry."

"Yeah, sure, whatever."

x-x-x

"So now what?" Romani asked Link once they had both fallen to the grass, exhausted.

"Well, I dunno. When do they get here?"

"Tonight at midnight," Romani said. "They come all over the place. I can only shoot so many at a time, and even then I run out of arrows...it's like no matter how many I can take out, three more pop up in the place of one."

"Would it be okay if I asked my friends to help us?"

"Would they actually believe me?" Romani asked.

"Well...I don't know. But it can't hurt to ask. If anything, I'll woo Zelda over into helping with my good looks and charming personality."

Romani started to laugh. "Yeah, right."

"I'm serious. C'mon, I am one pretty dude."

"Are you calling yourself a girl?"

Link glared at her.

"Just asking."

"Romani!" Cremia called out the door. "Romani, time for bed!"

Romani grimaced.

"She always makes me go to bed...not that it does any good. I'll sneak out my window and meet you here in thirty minutes. Okay?"

"Gotcha."

Link watched Romani go, and for a second doubt flashed in his mind. Aliens? Seriously? But she was being honest. He could just _tell_. Someone who insisted that much about something over and over and stuck to it no matter what could not possibly been lying. Real or not, Romani believed it. And he believed Romani.

Link went around to Zelda and Kylia's window and looked up. He aimed the hookshot, then stopped.

"Whoa."

Something pink had flown past the window. Apparently Zelda had just thrown off her dress and was now changing into her nightgown.

Link craned his neck, but couldn't see anything. He stood on his tiptoes, even scaled up the tree growing nearby, but it was at the wrong angle.

"Damn it."

Oh well. She'd've gotten pissed if she found out, anyway. Best not to try too hard to peep on her. Still, such a shame the tree was in the wrong spot...

Link waited until he saw the light in the room dim as the two women in the room started blowing out candles. Then he used his hookshot to shoot straight from the tree to the windowsill. He put it away and proceeded to open up the window and climb in.

Both women screamed, nearly giving Link a heart attack, and pulled sheets over them.

"What's the big deal?" Link asked, utterly confused. "I waited till you were both in nightgowns!"

"Were you _peeping_ on us?" Zelda gasped.

"Wha—no!" How could she tell from just one sentence?

"Then how did you know we were dressed?"

"I saw the lights start to go out."

"So you were _trying_ to peep on us."

"No I wasn't! I wanted to ask for some help."

"Doing _what_, it's already night time!"

And so Link explained that the ranch would be forced to close if the cows didn't stop getting taken and that aliens were doing it and he wanted them to help him stop them.

"Aliens?" Tatl laughed. "Man, you are so full of sh—"

"No I'm not, there really are aliens! And Romani needs some help. Look, just be there in—" He paused, thinking how long they had left. "About twenty minutes, now. As for me, I'll go get my stuff together."

x-x-x

Romani sighed at her sister.

"Cremia, can't I stay up?"

"No, Romani. You need to get it out of your head, there aren't any aliens. Now come on and go to sleep for me."

"Yes, sister," Romani said. She pulled the covers closer to her chin. When Cremia gave her a questioning look, she said simply, "I'm cold."

"Really?" Cremia walked to Romani's window and shut it, then felt Romani's forehead. "You may be coming down with something, it's a warm night."

"I don't think I'm sick. I feel fine. Just cold."

"Okay. Well, you get warm soon, and sleep tight. You hear?"

"Yes, sister."

"Goodnight, Romani." Cremia walked to Romani's doorway, one hand on the frame. She started to exit, then she looked back. "I love you."

"Love you too, Cremia," Romani said. "Goodnight."

Cremia shut the door and walked out. Romani's long ears twitched, waiting, and then she smiled. Perfect. Cremia was back downstairs.

Romani threw back her bedcovers, revealing she was fully dressed.

"Man, is it _ever_ hot tonight."

She started knotting together her sheets, one at a time, slowly. It wasn't that she wasn't good at it, but if she went too fast they wouldn't hold. She had to make each knot secure enough so that she could reach the ground, then test it, the double-check it when she was done. She was no good fighting aliens with broken bones.

After knotting all the sheets, Romani dived under her bed. Yup, sure enough, Cremia had tried to take her bow and arrows. Romani had had a box underneath the bed with a hair in the lid, and the hair wasn't there anymore. But Romani had outsmarted her. She yanked the box out from underneath the bed (it had nothing but clothes in it), moved it aside as quietly as she could, then crawled under the bed, face-up. There, stuck between her mattress and the bed frame, was her bow. She took it out and placed it on the floor, then turned herself over. She lifted up a loose floorboard. Resting in the space between the floor of the second story and the ceiling of the first story, was her quiver, with all her arrows in it.

Romani smiled. Then she got up and donned these weapons, and moved lightly from one foot to the other. Finally she put the bow on her back along with the quiver full of arrows. She tied her rope of sheets to the bedpost and yanked it hard several times to make sure it was tough. Then she moved her bed to the window, being as slow and quiet as possible; it was heavy and she didn't want her sister to hear it scrape the floor.

Finally she climbed on the bed.

"I love you, too, Cremia," she said. "And I love this ranch. This ranch...this is all we've got. That's why I gotta go against you. I gotta do this."

Then Romani lowered herself onto the rope of sheets. She used the knots as footholds and slowly scaled down the side of the house. When she was almost at the bottom she heard voices. Having become jumpy this time, she let go of the rope in surprise and feel about four feet to the grass.

"Ow!" Romani scrambled to her feet and turned. She expected to see Link, but instead it was the other guests. "Uh, hi."

"Hi," Zelda replied. "Romani, right?"

"Right. And you're..."

"Zelda, Kylia, and Tatl," Kylia said.

"A bunch of skeptics," Tatl corrected her.

Romani became angry.

"Look. If you don't want to help then go back to bed but don't come down here to insult me and get in my way. There are aliens here every year! I swear there are! They come every year and they take the cows up into the sky and then we never see them again!"

Zelda and Kylia looked at Romani, then at each other, then Romani.

"Umm..."

Just then, Link jumped out of his own window, landing behind Zelda and nearly scaring her to death.

"Shh, no screaming," Link warned. "We'll wake up Cremia."

"Link, this is crazy," Tatl said.

"Glad you think so. You can go stand watch outside Cremia's door. If she wakes up, come tell us."

"What?"

"If I'm so full of shit you don't need to be here. Now get moving."

"Ugh." Grumbling all the way, Tatl zipped back inside.

"Okay," whispered Link. "Now what?"

He was putting Romani in charge. She blinked, surprised by this thoughtful gesture.

"Okay, um, I'm going to stand in front of the barn doors," Romani said. "Someone needs to be on top of the barn, on top of the house, and running around the field taking them out."

"Right," said Link. "I'll ride Epona and stay down here."

"I'll get on top of the house," Zelda volunteered hesitantly. She still didn't believe anything was going to happen. "I can use magic to reach from there."

"I guess I'll take the barn then," Kylia said, "But I don't have any long-range weapons."

"You can use magic, too, can't you?" Zelda asked. "You are a Sage."

"It...doesn't work here," Kylia mumbled. She could shoot energy balls like Zelda could, and like Johan could, with the aid of knife she'd given him. But ever since she'd gotten to termina, the ability had shorted out on her.

"Can you shoot arrows?" Romani asked her.

"Well, yeah. I'm not half as good as Link is, but I don't think anyone could be."

"I have an extra bow in the barn. You can use it."

"Okay. Thanks."

Romani went in to retrieve the bow and Link, Zelda, and Kylia were left standing there alone.

"You didn't tell us your sage magic didn't work," Link accused. "Why?"

"I didn't think it was anything for you two to worry about," Kylia said nonchalantly. "And what about you? What happened today when that rock blew up?"

Link and Zelda exchanged a glance. Zelda opened her mouth to speak, and—

"Got it," Romani said, sprinting back and handing the bow to Kylia. "It's a little small for you because they made it in my size, but it should do for one night."

"All right. Um, give me a minute to warm up. I haven't tried archery in ages."

"Want to have a contest?" Link asked.

"Not on your life."

While they bickered, Romani stared out at the field. Horses and cows grazed and slept peacefully. The breeze blew through the grass, then ran its silky fingers through their hair. Romani sighed.

"_The truth is out there,_" she whispered with conviction. (1) Then she turned to Zelda. "You think that moon's really gonna fall?" Romani asked her.

Zelda was taken by surprise.

"Well...I think it will if it's not stopped."

"But who could stop a _moon_ from _falling_? You can't do that any easier than you can stop aliens from invading any darn place they feel like invading."

Zelda was again cut off from speaking when Link ran past her, almost knocking her over.

"You couldn't catch me if I had just one—Ooh, sorry Zel—leg! You can't run! You're slow like an old lady! Ouch!"

Kylia had caught Link and shoved him to the ground. He snatched up his cap and stood.

"Let me heard all the animals into the barn," Romani said. "You guys get ready. They'll be here soon."

"I can't believe you talked me into this," Kylia told Link, and he mounted Epona.

"You mean you still don't believe her?"

"Of course not. This is _crazy_."

Link shrugged.

"Madmen have no regrets, while those who stay sane always wonder about the road not taken."

"You didn't think that up on your own."

"Course not. Rauru said it."

Kylia shook her head, then used Link's hookshot to get to the roof of the barn. She tossed it back down to Zelda, who used it to get to the top of the house, and Zelda tossed it back to Link. Link grinned at Romani.

"Let's see 'em take on four at once, eh?" he asked her.

Romani cocked the bow.

Link was expecting some kind of noise; a fanfare or flashing lights maybe. But there was none. They simply came. First the horizon was empty, and then it wasn't. It was _creepy_.

Zelda and Kylia were both frozen with shock, until Link yelled "Hiyah!" at Epona, making her gallop towards the aliens. The yell brought Zelda and Kylia both back to their senses, and they both got ready for some target practice.

It wasn't so hard at first. Being on top of the house and barn gave them easy pickings, like shooting fish in a barrel, and all they had to worry about was not shooting Link, which was easy enough. But Romani had been telling the truth; for every one that went down, more came in its place. Soon they were overrun.

"You can do it, it's just like Space Invaders," Link shouted up at Kylia, to make her laugh and forget about how tired she was (they had been at this for a little more than two and a half hours). It worked; she shook her head and chuckled, aiming again with Romani's bow at the creatures below her. Link rode around to the back of the barn; they had appeared here too. He shot these down, yelling at Kylia to watch her back, then went back into the fields.

They were everywhere. Balls of light from far away, and something like ghosts when you got up close. Every time Link shot one it vaporized, but then more appeared. There was no getting rid of them.

Since they also tended to run out of arrows rather quickly, they had Link going around and pulling up the ones they had already used. The arrows zapped out the aliens, but when the aliens disappeared, the arrows simply fell to the ground, perfectly good for another use.

Link rode up next to Romani, temporarily helping her defend the barn as he refilled her arrow supply. He spoke through clenched teeth as she shot arrows and he loaded up her quiver.

"How long does this last?" he asked. "I mean, it does end eventually, right?"

"Yeah. At sunrise," Romani said. "They can't stand the light. I know because the one time I brought a lantern out here they knocked it over before they did anything else and nearly started a fire. The light's their weakness. I'm thinking if we can keep this up until sunrise, the light from the sun would be so powerful that they'd not ever come back. Because of all the light they hate, sunlight's got to be worse."

And it hit him.

"They're not _aliens_," he whispered. "They're _ghosts_."

"_What?_ You're _kidding_ me!"

Link rode off again, leaving Romani staring, wide-eyed. Then an alien—or ghost—got close to the barn and she whirled on it.

"I don't think so!"

The haunt was zapped away as she shot it.

Link waved at Zelda, then turned and shot at a haunt that was right on his tail.

"Tired?" he called.

"Immensely," she answered. "Does it ever end?"

"Word is when the sun comes up, they go down. They're ghosts!"

"How long do you think it is until sunrise?"

"About—"

Link had to act quickly; he'd lost focus and had almost gotten caught by surprise. Instead he fired off a quick three shots, giving him more breathing room.

"About two hours," he said to her. "That'd be five-thirty or so. Sun should be up by then. Can you make it?"

"I can try."

"Good." And Link rode off again, throwing up some arrows to Kylia and then going to gather some for himself. When he was out of arrows, he could simply charge through the masses with his sword as he gathered them up, which he did. Romani let out a cheer from her place at the barn.

There had never been so many, that Romani could remember. And yet never had she stayed up this late into the night—normally by now the cows were all taken and they had all left and _she_ had gone back to bed, defeated and crying into her pillow. But now they were actually lasting, they were actually putting up a fight! She was tired, and could tell everyone else was too, but adrenaline kept them mostly alert, if exhausted.

They started taking small breaks in shifts; Zelda would quit shooting energy balls for about two or three minutes, then when she got her stretch back called out to Kylia that she would cover for her, and Kylia would rest for two or three minutes. Then Kylia would call to Romani, and so on, and so forth. Link break was standing still but still shooting, and Romani's break was all nonexistent. She was younger and had more stamina, and this was her ranch to protect; she just couldn't ret while they were getting closer to the barn.

Aim, shoot, aim, shoot, call for or go get refills, aim, shoot. As the night wore on, the process burned into their minds, and they worked mechanically. The work got harder as the time pressed on, and they became more exhausted. It was tiring, hard, difficult work, and soon they found themselves on the verge of giving in.

"We have to keep going!" Romani told Link, who was exhausted and had by now put Epona in the barn because she was exhausted too. "If we don't the cows will all be gone in seconds! We can't've come this far for nothing!"

"Right," Link uttered. He ran out into the field, where the ghosts gathered in a circle around him, really going for him, as he, being the best archer, was their biggest threat. He had been hoping they would do that; choose him as a target rather than the barn. He cocked his bow and shot them off one by one, the ones closest to him going first. He had fought the King of Evil in worse shape than this with his aim never being affected; he could do fine here. And the more he told himself that, the better he got. Feeding his ego wasn't completely useless after all.

When the horizon began to glow, they all worked with renewed vigor.

"Just a little longer!" Link yelled. Romani, Zelda, and Kylia all let out a hoarse cheer.

Kylia's shift for break came, and she put down the bow a minute to rub her sore arms. Granted there was tough training at the Gerudo Fortress, but she hadn't pushed her body that much in a long time, and this was rough.

There was a shriek. Kylia jumped and looked down; one had grabbed Romani by her arms and was dragging her away from the barn. Kylia got her bow ready to fire, but she wasn't an able enough shot to hit the ghost and not Romani, and nor was Zelda, not from her distance. Link looked over, alarmed, and aimed his bow, but was forced to shoot a different one, as they had surrounded him entirely and he was basically fighting for his life. It wasn't difficult, but it left no time to help Romani.

_The sun, the sun,_ Romani thought, terrified, struggling in the grasp of the thing._ It's got to come up, any minute now!_

"Leave her alone!"

Romani gasped and looked toward the front door of the house. Cremia had bolted out of it, pitchfork in hand. She was quick to reach Romani (she had been sleeping this whole time and had much more energy than any of the people shooting) and then stab the haunt with the pitchfork. It felt like she'd stuck it into thin air, but the thing let out a wail and vanished.

Romani grabbed her bow from the ground and shot at a haunt standing right behind Cremia, who shrieked and turned around.

"Stay away from my sister!" Romani said fiercely.

"I never would have believed it," Cremia panted. "Aliens."

"No," Romani corrected. "They're ghosts."

Cremia swung her pitchfork at anything that got near her, anything that Romani missed, and they were able to get back to the barn to protect it. Romani spared a second to glance up at Cremia, so happy that her sister would finally believe her, happy that they would both be able to fight for this.

Tatl had zipped out of the house too, following her orders to the letter.

"I was gonna warn you!" she wailed to Link, flying in anxious circles around his head. "But she didn't give me time! She heard the kid scream and bolted!"

"Good thing too," Link grunted. "Tatl, you start gathering arrows, I'm busy. Pick 'em up and carry them to Kylia and Romani. As logn as you're here you've got to be useful."

Tatl didn't argue.

"Gotcha," she said. And she zipped away.

There was now almost no room in the field for walking for the ghosts, and even Link was getting more than he could handle. Zelda's energy was drained; her balls of energy were becoming weak and small. Kylia's arms were so sore she could hardly grip the bow.

The ghosts advanced on Link, and he found he was out of arrows.

"Shit! Tatl! Quick, I need ammo!"

"I can't find any!" Tatl couldn't see through all the ghosts, which were now so close to Link he could have sneezed on them. They leered down upon him, their eyes aglow and their forms pressing closer and closer against him, surrounding him, and everywhere he turned they were there, and there was no way out. Link threw his arms up to cover his face with a terrified cry, kneeling down, and—

There were numerous wails from all the ghosts. Link risked a glance up. The tip of the sun had come over the horizon. The ghosts wailed in agony, getting fainter and fainter as the sun grew larger and glowed brighter.

Link stood. They had frozen in place, and he was no longer in danger. The sun really was killing them, as Romani had predicted. The faded away into nothing as the sun fully rose over the hills.

"We did it," Romani whispered. "Yes! We did it!"

She hugged her sister hard, then started crying.

"They're gone for good! There's no way they'll come back now! We did it! We saved the ranch!" She shrieked as she was picked up by Link. He swung her around in a circle and then put her down, grinning from ear to ear. Then he tossed the hookshot up to Kylia, who moved to the tree and climbed back to the ground. She tossed it to Zelda, and both women were quick to join the group hug.

"I'm not full of shit, see?" Link said.

"No," Tatl agreed, "You're not. But you're full of something. I'll let you know when I figure out what it is."

"Man, we busted those guys up!" Romani said happily. "We should call ourselves the ghost busters!" (2)

Before anyone could reply to this, it started pouring down rain. Everyone yelled in surprise, then laughed, running for cover inside the house.

"I don't know about you guys," Link said, "But I can celebrate tomorrow. I want to sleep."

"Fair enough," Zelda said. "I'm crashing too."

"I'll go with you," Kylia agreed.

And so the guests went upstairs and left Romani and Cremia alone in the front room.

"You did a good job, Romani," Cremia said, hugging her sister close. "I'm very proud of you."

Romani felt herself start to cry.

"I couldn't just let them take them. Even though it was never enough I always had to try. We don't have parents. This ranch is all we have. It's Mom and Dad's And it's so important to you. I just wanted to make you happy."

"No, honey, no." Cremia stroked Romani's hair. "You didn't need to risk your life to save this place. And I am happy we managed to drive them away. But this ranch is not as important to me as you are, you hear? You scared me when that thing had you. I'd rather the cows be lost than lose you. The ranch isn't all we've got; we'll always have you and me and nothing, not even losing the ranch, could change that. Okay?"

"Okay," Romani said, smiling through her tears. She hugged Cremia tight again, and then wiped her eyes.

"And I think Mom and Dad would be just as proud of you as I am," Cremia said to her sister.

Romani beamed.

"And now, it is bedtime," Cremia said. "This time, you go to sleep, you hear?"

Romani nodded, and kissed her sister on the cheek.

"Night, Cremia."

"Goodnight, Romani."

x-x-x

Link, after changing out of his wet clothes and leaving them up to dry, collapsed onto his bed, relieved at last to finally be able to shut his eyes. He didn't even bother to turn onto his side or his stomach; he simply collapsed spread all over the bed and stay that way. He was asleep almost before he hit the pillow.

A woman appeared out of the shadows. She hadn't been standing there all along, she had just appeared there. She was wearing no cloak or anything else to hide her face as she had been; Link was so exhausted he wouldn't wake to see her. She knelt by his bedside, and put a hand to his forehead. His skin felt cool and a little moist from all the rain. She brushed the hair away from his eyes and stared at his face.

Finally she bent a little and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. Link stirred a little. She stared at his face a little longer, then as he sat up, having been awakened by the feeling, she vanished, turning into a small shower of gold sparks. Link didn't notice this, his mind too fogged by lack of sleep to notice much of anything. He touched his forehead, frowned, then collapsed back onto the bed. A small smile was on his face; his dreams were full of a sweet voice singing a song he had once played without even knowing what it was.

When he woke next, it was past noon, and Link remembered nothing.

**AN:** :shifty-eyes: hint much? ...aw screw it, hints are lost.

(1) I forgot who requested the x-files joke, but there it is.

(2) You can kill me for that.

It's come to my attention that the borders between view changes: (x-x-x) aren't loading sometimes. See, in my word document, I use the little stars, but the doc manager won't upload those. So before I upload the chapter, I have to change it. Sometimes I forget. I'm eventually going to go back and purge the story of all chapters without borders and replace them with chapters WITH borders. So if you find a chapter without them, PLEASE tell me so, somehow. I'd appreciate it muchly. Thank you.

And now, responses.

**windchaser90:** You really think it's funny? Thank you! I'm flattered! I always thought humor was the one area I truly sucked in... (that and action scenes, but almost nobody can do those well.)  
**Pata Hikari:** Oh right, you were the x-files person. XD I've never watched it. I had to ask around. And yes, I think Romani is cute too. Thank God its not a law that she speak first person in fanfics too...  
**J-boy:** You wanna talk about subtext? The last paragraph is so freakin full of it. Yeah, I love Romani's Ranch too though. So much more fun than FUCKING EVIL SNOWHEAD:ahem: Anyways. I hope you enjoy!  
**pengurl:** Haha, good luck with that project. Really the aliens always creeped me out, but to each their own, I guess.  
**Chocopop:** Happy birthday! I hope you had a good one. :hugs you: thanks for always reviewing me and stuff. I appreciate it. In fact I sat down and forced myself to write the majority of this chapter in one sitting just so I could have it up soon for you like you asked. XD Hope you enjoyed it.  
**Orpheum Zero: **Thankies muchly. :happy face:

And that is that. I have some confidence in saying the next chapter will be out within a week, but no promises yet, not till I'm sure my muse is back for good!

I love you guys for staying with me so long even after that major time of No Updates. Thank you.

Liz out.


	31. Chapter Thirty: The Brief Return of Ingo

**Author's Notes: (hides) Yes, you can kill me. I've neglected this story for an age or more. It's been nearly two years since I've updated it. I'm so sorry. I promised updates, and then I stopped. My computer crashed on me. This chapter has been written three times. It's hard to keep going when you lose so much work, so I gave up for awhile and my word has become null and void.**

**But I'm on a new computer, now. My files are backed up. No more crashes, so you'll have your updates. I've got chapters written in advance. I promised myself I wouldn't post anything until I had them in advance because I don't want to leave anymore horribly long stretches with this.**

**You may even notice the point when my writing changes. It's at the word frequently, where Link is looking behind him.**

**A few warnings:**

**One - my expertise, screwing the canon, will get even more profound from here on out. The ending shall be very little like the one we were given in the game, and I've taken a huge amount of, er, artistic license in what I've been writing. Nothing new, but it's a lot more now than it used to be. Don't read further if you're expecting the canon.**

**Two - my writing has changed drastically since I last updated. I'd like to think it's an improvement! I am now even more anal about grammar and spelling than I used to be. Also, my characterization has improved. You may find some characters that used to be all over the place (ugh, how did you guys even READ that crap?) are now a little more in control, but hopefully remain the same at their core.**

**Three - there will be less profanity.**

**Now that I have finished begging any of my remaining readers for forgiveness, a bit about the chapter itself: ACTION SCENES ARE SO HARD WTF. I saw it very clearly in my head and it was extremely difficult to write out where it made sense. I hope I did an okay job! I'm actually really proud of it. I used to brush by action scenes because I sucked at them, but taking the challenge head-on proved to be rewarding and fun.**

**That is all.**

**Oh, wait, no it's not. ****Big thanks to Marquis for looking over this chapter. This one is for you, and all my readers who've been waiting far too long for updates! If you're here, thank you for actually coming back to me and reading this. Your support means everything to me.**

**As always, please review. I'd especially love to hear what you think of the chase.**

**- Love Liz**

Chapter Thirty: The Brief Return of Ingo and Sheik

Link was actually the first one to wake the next morning. He sat up, his head still clouded with strange dreams, and stretched. Then he staggered out of bed and promptly fell over due to his feet not wanting to do what his brain told them to.

"Son of a..."

Link pulled himself up, stood a minute, waited for his tired body to adjust, and then popped his back. Aah, that felt better.

Now time to wake up everyone else.

He decided against tooting his ocarina in Zelda's ear again; as funny as it had been he didn't think at the moment he was coordinated enough to run away from her and get in a tree before she slaughtered him.

Instead, forgetting entirely that all he had on were his shorts, he entered Romani's room to find her snoozing away.

"Hey, Romani." He poked her. "Romani. Wake up."

"Mmph." Romani moaned and turned over. "Go away, Crem, I'm tired."

Link laughed. "I'm Link, silly, not your sister."

"Oh. Well go away. I'm tired."

"Aww c'mon. I'm bored."

"What time is it?" Romani asked him.

Link glanced outside.

"I'd say about two or three in the afternoon."

"What?!" Romani screeched, sitting up. Link started to laugh as she looked outside. "You're not kidding! Is everyone else awake?"

"Nope. I'm the first."

"Good. You can help me start breakfast."

And so Link in his shorts, with his hair mussed up from sleeping, padded with Romani, in her rumpled nightgown, her hair also sticking up crazily, into the kitchen. They caught sight of themselves in the mirror and started to laugh. Link thought it was all pretty funny until, while trying to crack eggs, he missed the bowl and watched the egg land on the floor (although Romani giggled even harder as he later slipped on the egg while attempting to clean up).

"You're hopeless."

"I'm not."

Romani continued to giggle at him, until they heard a sort of stifled gasp of shock from beside the stairs. Romani looked over and waved.

"Hi," she said cheerfully.

Standing there was Cremia, one hand on her hip and an eyebrow cocked, Kylia, who had been stretching but was now frozen in place as she took in the scene, and Zelda, who was blushing furiously with both hands covering her mouth. Tatl flew in lazy circles above their heads. No one answered Romani.

"What are you _doing_?" Kylia said to Link.

"Huh?" Link asked, dumbfounded. She grabbed him by the ear. "_Oww!_ Stop, that hurts!"

"You're not _decent_! Go put on _clothing_!" And she dragged him to the bottom of the staircase and pushed him up.

"And you!" Cremia said to Romani. "You're just in your _nightgown_! Go get _dressed_!" And Cremia gently swatted Romani up the stairs.

"What's the big deal?" Link and Romani yelled down together.

They were ignored.

"Those two are so immature," Tatl huffed.

"As opposed to the drunkard here," Kylia said, referring to the time when they had gone back to Woodfall and Tatl had had a sip too many of the green juice.

Cremia giggled.

Tatl glanced at Zelda, who had been perfectly silent since gasping and seeing Link in his shorts.

"Y'know, you're being awfully quiet." She was trying to get the subject off of herself.

"I can't help it, okay?" Zelda said. "He looks _good_ with no shirt on."

Cremia giggled at this, too, finding it so funny she had to lean on the wall for support. Unfortunately a moment later she fell due to slipping on some spilled eggs and didn't find it very amusing after that.

x-x-x

At sunset, Cremia traditionally started loading up her milk bottles to the wagon, and shortly after, rode off into the night towards Clocktown.

Traditionally.

This time, she had help from Zelda and Kylia. Link and Romani, however, were not helping—they were chasing each other around and around the house. Something about Link's hat. She wasn't sure what it was supposed to mean.

Link practically flew up the nearby tree. Romani wasn't sure how he had done it—one minute he had been on the ground, the next minute, he was in branch. He was pretty good at climbing trees. She stood below him with her arms crossed.

"Can't get my hat now," Link told her.

"I'll get Tatl to grab it."

"Your mistake is counting on Tatl to cooperate," Link said with a chuckle. When she had gone, he stared after her, depressed. To think they would all forget each other one he turned back time! It was a sad thought. He liked Romani, and Cremia, and not just because they looked like his cousin. Romani was truly someone he felt at ease talking to, and they could relate to one another. It was such a shame that they would forget it all...

He climbed down from the tree and Romani pounced on him, snatching away the hat before he could react.

"Damn it!"

They started chasing each other again.

"Get on the wagon," Cremia shouted at the pair of them as they flew past her.

"Wait one minute!"

"I am leaving you here and you can _walk_," Cremia warned. The milk had been packed and she was moving the wagon. Link whistled for Epona, who trotted to him as prompt as always, still glad to just see him there. Romani started running after the wagon, but Link quickly caught up to her.

"My hat for a ride," he shouted.

"Fine," Romani told him. He stopped to pick her up and she scooted on. She mounted and pulled his hat down snugly so that it wouldn't fly off in the wind. After that, they were off, passing the slow little wagon and sometimes riding circles around it to give Epona exercise and Romani the giggles.

It was a pleasant ride. Link couldn't have said later what exactly they talked about, but they laughed a lot. They were always smiling. The night air felt good to them and the evening passed peacefully. They were tired, but they didn't doze, just relaxed.

That was when Link heard the sound of hooves on the road behind him, almost masked entirely by Cremia' happy chattering.

"Hear that?" he asked, interrupting Cremia in the middle of her sentence.

Cremia stopped talking. They all listened. The sound grew louder. It drew the color away from the faces of Romani and her older sister.

"It's bandits," Cremia whispered. "I know it."

"What do we do?" Romani asked.

"Relax," Link said. "I can handle a few bandits." He slowed Epona down long enough to let the wagon catch up to him. "Hop off, kid," he said to Romani. "This might get tricky. Here, you've got your bow? Good. Kylia, take mine." Link took it off and tossed it and his quiver to her. "You guys defend the wagon. Zelda, are you still drained from before, or...?"

"Of course not," Zelda answered. "I'll help them."

"We're going to fight them?" Romani asked, aghast.

"We fought ghosts, didn't we? These people are human. I think." Link glanced over his shoulder. "Cremia, try to outrun them first. Move it. Don't slow down."

Cremia moved it.

Her passengers yelped as the wagon's speed increased, but after that, there was tense silence. Everyone listened hard to keep the sound of hooves in their ears. Link rode behind the wagon, but kept his eyes narrowed for danger, and frequently glanced behind himself. Epona felt his nervousness and began to get skittish, but he whispered to her and petted her as they rode, calming her down.

"It's okay, girl, you're all right..."

"Link," Romani hissed.

Link turned; he could barely make out the forms of three people riding his way. Since he was limited to the speed of the wagon, they were gaining on him faster than he would have liked. His eyes narrowed. "Okay," he said in a low voice. "Get ready. Romani, don't aim at them or their horses." He didn't want her accidentally killing someone; she was far too young. "Aim at the ground in front of the horses to scare 'em, okay?"

"Okay."

Silence, except for the sound of hooves. Link slowed to make sure there was plenty of room between him and the wagon.

All the sudden the one of the thieves rode forward. He had a black mask on, hiding his features, but Link could still tell he was male; he had broad shoulders and a flat chest. Link yelled at Cremia to speed up, but she was already going as fast as she could. The arrows began to fly from the back of the wagon.

Kylia's both missed their mark; fortunate, as she was aiming to kill. It was Romani who hit the path before the rider's horse; it bucked up and threw the man off. Link left him behind; so did the other bandits. Two more came forward, both wearing masks and shooting arrows with fire on the end. Cremia's wagon caught fire, and the women aboard all began crying out in alarm. Kylia stamped out the fire and shot another arrow at one of the men; this one his stomach, and he fell to the ground and rolled four feet before stopping.

The other bandit came up beside Link, and attempted to push him off of his horse. Link let out a yelp of surprise and ducked, drawing his sword. The bandit, expecting him to be right-handed, had come up on his left, but was unpleasantly surprised when he saw Link's blade.

"I'm armed. You're not," Link growled, and he swung wildly. The man ducked, and Link took advantage of his surprise to lift a foot and kick him off of his horse. It was brutal, but effective. "Is that all?" he asked, checking over his shoulder.

"No!" Romani shouted. "Link, look out!"

Another masked bandit, the last one, had learned from his fellows and came upon Link from the right. Link's sword couldn't reach to hit the man, so he sheathed it and sped up. The bandit sped after him. Link eyed the road ahead. There was a path of trees ahead that blocked the road from view, but beneath them, he knew, there was also a curve coming up; it turned to the left, and to the right of it, there was a small empty place no one used. He glanced behind him at the rider; he had to get him to his left, or distracted from the wagon. Maybe if they slowed him down...

"Cremia!" Link yelled. "When we get to the curve, pull over!" He knew for the moment, at least, he was out of earshot. "Make sure you go right, and when the danger passes, follow me!"

"Are you crazy?" she yelled at him, turning her face back to let the wind carry her voice.

"Yeah, I am! Now do it!"

The final rider was far behind them, and once they disappeared under the shadows of the trees, they were invisible to him. Cremia yanked the reins in her hand; the wagon turned sharply to the right, fishtailing and almost turning around entirely. The wagon's passengers waited, still and quiet, as Link shot past them, and sighed in relief when they heard the bandit ride after him.

Link purposely slowed down after the trees thinned, and let the bandit catch up to him. The man was still on his right, but Link knew he had been tricked into believing the wagon was quite far ahead of them. He sped up to go past Link, head turning right and left in an attempt to locate it. His horse moved from the right side of the lane to the middle.

Link grinned.

"Sucker!"

He moved to the right, pulling his sword out again, and urged Epona to run faster, to draw even with his quarry. The thief saw him—to his left, with his sword out—and let out a startled yell that told Link he knew he had been tricked.

"Now what?" Link yelled.

The man fled.

He began screeching at his horse and kicking its sides, and Link's expression darkened, both at the man's cowardice and his treatment of the horse. He bent low, near Epona, and urged her to go as fast as she could. "C'mon, girl, I know you can, I _know_ you can! C'mon, Epona, let's catch him, and give him what he deserves!"

Link again drew even with the man, and again the man sped up. This happened about four or five times, but no matter how fast the bandit went, Link and Epona matched him. Soon they were evenly matched, racing at breakneck speeds towards the end of Milk Road.

No longer was it a chase; this was a race to the finish line.

Link no longer had the option of attacking with his sword or lashing out with his foot; Epona was going so fast he had to hold on tightly or risk falling and taking serious injuries. Both of Epona and the bandit's horse were tiring, and both riders were feeling the strain, too. Link knew if they reached the end of the road like this, he would never catch up to the last bandit.

"Come on, Epona, come on, just a little more, girl..."

Epona heard his voice, and, glad to be with someone she trusted again, obeyed. Link's eyes widened in shock as he realized they were pulling ahead of his opponent.

"Yes, yes, yes...!"

Epona reached the end of the road about four lengths ahead of the bandit and Link yanked her to a stop. Surprised, she reared up and turned in circles, landing with her whole body blocking the end of the path. Link was nearly thrown off (indeed, he lost grip of his sword), but managed to stay in the saddle by clinging to Epona with both arms and legs. The thief's horse skidded to a halt just in time, but the bandit did not have a tight as grip on his horse, and he went flying, landing in some bushes nearby. Both horses reared up again, frightened (the bandit's horse turned around and took off back down Milk Road), and for a moment Link was sure he was going to be following the man, but he held on for dear life again and was spared.

Milk Road was to his left, and the bandit was in the shrubbery to his right, out cold. Link was still in Epona's saddle, shaking from the adrenaline rush and fear of being thrown off. He swung his left leg over the saddle to get off of Epona, but he wound up falling instead of landing gracefully. He hit the ground with a thump and a groan, and then reluctantly stumbled to his feet, clinging to Epona for support; his legs didn't seem to want to work. He didn't want to be down there under a horse that was so scared.

Link dug a carrot out of Epona's saddlebag and gave it to her while talking to her to calm her down. By the time he felt steady on his feet again, the wagon had caught up to them.

"Link?" Cremia stopped the wagon and hopped off. "You okay? What happened to the other guy?"

Romani, Zelda, and Kylia all tumbled out of the back of the wagon, and started asking the same questions. Tatl flew after them,

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Little shaky, but I'm fine." Link gave a weak chuckle. "What a rush. Your guy's back there, Cremia." Link jerked his thumb at the bushes. "I jerked Epona in front of him and his horse stopped and sent him right off." He grinned. "I wish you could have seen it."

"Me too," Tatl said, flying over to the bushes to inspect the man. "Heeey, Link, c'mere. I think he's waking up."

"Aw, shit." Link located his sword and grabbed it, then went over to the bushes and prodded the man with it. "Hey. Don't move."

"Wha...?" The masked man sat up and he scrambled backwards, further into the shrubbery, when he saw the sword pointing down at him. "You get away from me!" He stood to run.

"Oh no you don't!" Link tossed his sword aside and dived in the bushes to tackle the man. There was a lot of scuffling and grunting and then a yell; finally the two rolled out from the bushes. The man was unmasked, and when Zelda and Link saw his face, they gasped. The first thing Link did was deck him in the face. Being a swordsman meant he didn't have a great right hook (or left hook, as it were), but it knocked his target back long enough for Link to ask someone for his sword and then point said sword at the man lying on the ground.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Ingo?" Link growled.

Ingo, the old ranch hand from Lon Lon Ranch who had abused Malon and gotten Talon kicked out, glared up at them all.

"Well," he sneered, "You did tell me never to come back to Hyrule."

"No," Zelda said sharply, "I believe it was _I_ that told you that. But I didn't mean for you to come to another world to do the exact same evil things."

Ingo snorted at her. "Who the hell are you? I've never seen you before in my life."

Zelda stared at him.

"Excuse me?" There was no mistaking the royal authority in her voice. "I am Princess Zelda of Hyrule, Malon's personal friend and I—oh." She sighed. "Of course."

Then Zelda did something Link would never forget. She brought her arms up in front of her, crossing them to make an X. Her fingers spread apart, and the Triforce piece within her caused the triangle on the back of her hand to glow. It became brighter and brighter until it flashed once, blinding everyone in the vicinity, and when the brightness faded, there stood Sheik, looking like the remnant of a memory—but for Link, the memories were all good...

Link gaped at her. Yes, she was supposed to be a man, but this was the person he had gone on all of his adventures with, this was how he fell in love with her, and seeing her brought back a surge of good memories from their first adventure together.

Ingo gaped at her too. Sheik had put a fear in him he had never quite forgotten, by chasing him off the ranch. "It's you! You were her all the time! When Ganon hears about this—"

"Ganon's dead," Sheik said coolly, telling a half-truth to upset Ingo. Her claws sprang forth and she lowered her hands—to Ingo's throat. "In fact, you're in the company of his killers. Don't you feel special?"

She was amazed at how quickly she slipped back into this skin, this personality—rougher, tighter, meaner, scarier. It had been a long time, but she still remembered being this way, still remembered the tight layers that were her second skin and protection. She knew that even though there was no danger, she would feel absolutely naked if she took off her mask.

But Ingo didn't know it. He was shaking from head to toe. "You? You managed to defeat the King of Evil?"

"That we did," Link said, finally finding his voice. "And as you can see, we haven't been slacking off any. Now...you've been stealing from my friends and you and your friend could have gotten us all killed back there. So I'm wondering what we should do with you."

"Let me go!"

"Oh, so you can cause more trouble elsewhere," Sheik snarled. "Yeah right."

"No, please, I won't—!"

"Quiet," barked Sheik. "You and all of your friends are to stay away from this ranch, do you understand me? I want you to get a real job and make something of yourself—either that, or stay the hell away from good, honest, hardworking people."

"Yes, I will," Ingo nodded. "Just please let me go."

Sheik and Link exchanged a glance, pretending to consider it. Their eyes locked, and Link felt a strong surge of affection and nostalgia combined when they did.

"All right," Sheik finally sighed. "Just this once. But if I ever, ever..._ever_ catch you making trouble again...you _will_ regret it, Ingo..."

"Yes, yes—"

Sheik lifted her claws. "Now get out of my sight. You're pathetic."

Ingo ran as fast as he could, and Sheik's claws retracted. She sighed, shaking her head, before looking around and realizing everyone was looking back at her.

Link and Ingo hadn't been the only ones gaping at Sheik. Cremia and Romani were also studying this change, and Tatl was curiously inspecting her, seeing the infamous Sheik for the first time. In fact, Kylia had been the only one who hadn't gaped Zelda's alternate costume, even though she herself had only seen it a few times.

Sheik, feeling all the eyes on her, blushed underneath the mask. "_What?_ I was doing it to scare Ingo!"

Cremia and Romani were full of questions.

"How did you do that? How did you know that man? Who's Ganon? Are you really a _princess_? What's Hyrule?"

Sheik began to chuckle softly. "Okay, okay, hold on." She plopped down on the grass, and to test herself, slowly unwound the white cloth keeping her hair and mask in place. They both fell loose, and she fiddled with the white cloth, resisting the urge to hide or get back in the costume. Link thought she looked even more beautiful with her hair down, and sat next to her. He was followed by Kylia and Tatl, and now all eyes were on her because she was about to tell their story; she was about to let Cremia and Romani in on their secrets. She looked up at the moon, looming ever-closer, as she spoke.

"Yes...I'm a princess," she said finally, and Romani and Cremia squealed, delighted.

"That's so neat!"

"Do you live in a castle?"

"Where's your crown?"

"Hold on, hold on," Sheik replied, laughing. "I don't really act like a real princess. So I don't even have my crown—actually, they're called tiaras—with me. I do live in a castle, though." She smiled.

"What are you the princess of?" Romani asked. "I don't know of any princesses around here."

"Well, that's because we're not from around here," Sheik said. "We're from a place called Hyrule, and that's what I'm the princess of. I knew that man, Ingo, because he was from Hyrule, too...but he was cruel to one of my friends, and I more or less banished him."

"Wow," breathed Romani. "But why did you come here if you have a whole castle to yourself in Hyrule?"

Sheik laughed again. "That's a little complicated! Well..."

She looked to her fellow adventurers for help, and Link jumped right in.

"We were looking for someone," Link said. "In our world there was an evil man called Ganondorf...the King of Evil. I defeated him, and rescued my princess," here he grinned and Sheik blushed, "but we had reason to believe he had come back from the dead."

"It's just like a fairy tale," Cremia said, in wonder.

"Except cooler because it's real," Romani breathed. "But how can someone come back from the _dead_?"

"Don't get me wrong, normally people don't do that in Hyrule," Link said quickly. He didn't bother to try and explain about his wish, and Navi's, because it really was complicated. "But Ganondorf has a piece of powerful artifact called the Triforce. With it, we're not sure what he can do. I saw him come back from near-death once myself."

"So did I," Kylia volunteered.

"And me," Sheik added. "He's very, very powerful. But he's an evil man, so Link and I fought him. When we discovered he might be alive again, we hunted him down, but during our search, we got sidetracked and sort of...fell into this world, from a warp in our own. I know this is complicated. Are you still following me?"

Cremia and Romani both nodded solemnly, their full attention trained on her.

"Well...we can't back out of this world until we get back an evil mask from a skull kid...do you know what those are?"

Cremia shook her head, but Romani said proudly, "I do."

"Well," Link said, "the person who can send us back to our world told us we had to get this mask from this skull kid before he left town in three days..."

"That's when the moon is supposed to fall!" Romani gasped.

Sheik smiled weakly. "That's why he's leaving town. Because the skull kid is trying to drop the moon on the world."

"But Zelda!" Cremia cried. "You've only got a day left!"

"No," Link shook his head. "We've got as much time as we want." He stood and pulled out his ocarina from his pocket. "This is a memento from our first fight against Ganondorf. It's the Ocarina of Time. It has...certain magical properties. When I play the right song on this ocarina, time will go backwards three days. We've been...cursed, I guess, by the skull kid. Anyone who watches us play the song will go back in time too. Otherwise...they'll forget everything even happened."

Romani leapt to her feet. "You mean we'll forget you, and you saving our ranch? We—we can't! Play this song for us!"

"Romani!" Cremia chided, also standing. "You can't just—"

"Oh, Crem, we can't forget _them_, look what they've done for us!"

"Are you sure you know what you're asking for?" Kylia asked Romani. "It means reliving the same three days over and over again...and it could be a lot of cycles before we accomplish our goal and stop the skull kid and the moon. It gets monotonous. Day One is sunny, Day Two it rains, and Day Three it's cloudy. The same news in the papers, the same conditions each time...the cuccos will lay the same amount of eggs and the cows will give the same amount of milk...you'll be trapped with us until we can get the mask back."

Romani looked doubtful for a moment, but then smiled. "I can do it. I don't want to forget you. Cremia, please! Don't you want to remember them, too?"

Cremia nodded slowly. "Of course I do. All right, then...if you want to, will you please play it for us?"

"If you're very sure," Link said. "I don't want you to forget us, either, but please be sure."

"We're sure!" the sisters said together, nodding as one.

"Okay," Link said. "Where were you at six in the morning on Day One?"

"Uh..." Cremia tried to think. "That was...yesterday, I guess...we were both in the barn. Milking the cows."

"That's where you'll land," Link said, nodding. "And...we won't be coming back for awhile."

Romani looked heartbroken. "What? Why not?"

Link knelt before her to be on her eye level. Funny, less than six months ago, to his reasoning, he had been this height. He remembered coming into Hyrule for the first time and thinking of how tall everyone else seemed. Johan had been the first person to speak with him on his own level, and he knew Romani would want the same.

"Romani, my friends are in trouble," Link said. "Back in Hyrule, Ganondorf is out there somewhere and they don't have me to protect them. And the skull kid even has a friend of mine hostage."

"And my brother," Tatl added sadly.

"They're trapped in the cycles with us too, Romani," Link said. "They may be hurting, or in danger...and I have to help them."

"But..." A tear slipped down Romani's cheek. "If you were so busy trying to save them, why did you come here to us in the first place?"

Link's words got backed up in his throat. How could he explain he was hearing voices?

"...a guardian angel told me you might need help," Link said, with a small smile. "But now more people need my help, so I have to go help them. But you'll see me again, I promise. Okay?"

"Okay." Romani nodded and brushed her arm across her face. "Will you still play the song?"

Link nodded, and stood up, placing one hand on Epona. His companions did the same thing and joined him, making sure they were all touching Link somehow. Romani let Cremia hug her, and the two groups waved a sad goodbye.

"Cheer up," Tatl told Romani, flying a few fast circles around her before coming to land on Link's shoulder. "No more ghosts. And you'll see us again soon..."

"Thank you," Cremia told them. "For everything. Good luck on your adventure."

"Bye, Link," Romani whispered.

Link waved with one hand, temporarily taking it off of Epona. Then, one-handed, he played the Song of Time. As white obscured his vision and senses, he thought he heard a voice whisper in the back of his mind, where no one else could hear it, not even Zelda.

"_You did a good job, Link..."_

** AN: Not sure when you guys can expect to see the next chapter, but it'll be this time next week at the very latest. I promise! For real this time. No more computer crashes. Thank you for reading.**_  
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	32. Chapter ThirtyOne: Better Safe Than So

**Author's Notes: Oooh, I've been forgotten. Well, it's my own fault. Hopefully regular updates will make someone remember me again. ; ; Here's Chapter Thirty-One. Sheik and his group are getting closer and closer to Link's group! This loads of was fun to write, especially the parts about the "mysterious woman". I sincerely hope you enjoy it.**

**Something cool I discovered: Go to YouTube, find sounds of ocean waves and then find a video of rock music, preferably a concert. At the point where Link is sitting outside listening to the concert going on inside, turn the waves sound up high, and the rock music down low. This gives a great impression o what he was hearing. It's what I wrote that scene too and it's really amazing! **

**- Love Liz**

Chapter Thirty-One: Better Safe Than Sorry

All was dark when Link, Zelda, Kylia, and Tatl landed in the Clock Tower. Tatl, their light, led them to the door, but when they pulled open she groaned.

"Ugh. Already six in the morning again. I was looking forward to a good night's sleep."

"Hah, I did way more work than you did," Link said.

"You're so modest," Tatl said, deadpan.

Link ignored her. "But we slept in so late...so if we sleep now, we'll sleep late again."

"I hate to say this," Zelda said, "but maybe we should stay awake and just go to bed a little early tonight. I mean, we can't get into the habit of sleeping late."

"Aww, don't be like that," Tatl whined.

"I'm not," Zelda said. "We only have three days before we have to travel back in time. If we get our sleeping schedules too off-whack, we might wind up sleeping through the moon falling, or at the very least, spend more time asleep then awake."

"She has a point," Kylia said. "But maybe we could use a _little_ nap? I mean, I'm okay, but Link was riding Epona and I know it wasn't easy, so—"

"Epona!" Link gasped suddenly. "Where—where _is_ she? She isn't in the Clock Tower!"

"Did you expect her to be?" Tatl asked, baffled. "She'd never fit. Besides, she started off in the southern fields heading up east, not in here."

Link's racing pulse slowed. "Really?"

"Yeah. She's probably fine. Let's go find her."

Since they had to go east to get back to Doc's observatory, they passed through East Clock Town, and walked around the outside going south. They caught sight of Epona a little before they caught sight of Doc's, and Link happily ran up to her, hugging her and wishing feverently he had a carrot or sugar to give her.

"Hey, girl..."

Link climbed aboard and impressed all of his friends by getting Epona to jump and run circles around them. He was happy just to be riding her, and it was evident by the grin on his face.

Because of this, they were delayed getting to Doc's by a good half hour.

x-x-x

Ryn was the first to wake on the new cycle. She knew time had gone backwards again by looking at the old man's calendar, and the big, scary moon up in the sky. It was smaller, now, and less frightening.

She thought she heard a horse whinny from somewhere nearby, but she paid no attention to it. Instead, bored, she slipped outside to look around. She went to the place where she had found the frog and smiled, remembering the look on her brother's face when she brought it indoors.

"I've never seen a frog that color," he'd said, ruby eyes widening.

"Me either," Ryn had replied, with a grin.

They'd put him in the tank with his fellow frogs, and their music had delighted Ryn beyond most everything she had ever seen.

After a few minutes, she felt rather than heard Sheik join her. His presence was sometimes silent, but always comforting. She looked up at him with a smile, and he smiled down at her.

"We're leaving again," he murmured finally. "Navi woke up and told me she thinks Link must be too busy to come back, so we're going after him again."

"I'm glad," Ryn whispered. Not that she didn't like this place, but there wasn't much to do here and only her brother could interpret for her. They had been there two days; it was time to move again. "Where are we going?"

"A place called Romani Ranch."

"Oh! With horses?" Ryn asked, remembering the call she'd heard earlier.

"Mhmm."

They talked a little while longer, until Tael also woke up and he and Navi decided to join them. Then they left, leaving a note for Doc thanking him for his hospitality, but not waking him from his sleep.

Sheik didn't think anyone would read it, but he made sure to leave it on the man's nightstand, so no one nosy would see it on the table. Not like anyone would know them or know what the note meant, but he felt like it was a good idea to cover his tracks. Better safe than sorry, after all.

x-x-x

When Link, Zelda, Kylia and Tatl finally got to Doc's, the sun was well over the edge of the horizon. Link was letting Zelda ride Epona slowly while he and Kylia walked, so their progress wasn't any quicker than normal, even with the addition of a horse.

They reached the fence around the observatory and left Epona there, hopping it to get in the observatory.

"Doc! Doc?"

No answer. Link poked his head inside of Doc's room and laughed softly. "He's asleep," he told his friends. "Let's wake him up."

"Let's not, that's so rude," Zelda said severely. "Come on, let him sle...oh, wow. Link, look."

Zelda pointed to the frog tank. There were three sleeping frogs inside; the one they'd found at the swamp, the one Ella had found for them in Clock Town, and...a third, oddly-colored frog. But None of them had any idea where it came from.

"Maybe...maybe Doc found it," Link faltered. "I don't know...that's possible, right?"

Zelda shrugged. "I guess..."

Kylia noticed another oddity. "Look, someone's been sleeping on the mattresses." Indeed, the beds they'd laid out for themselves were mussed—at least, two of them were. Link's remained untouched.

"Hmm." Link glanced back at Doc's room. "Maybe the kids stayed over."

"The evidence would have vanished once we turned back time," Tatl reminded them. "Someone's been here this cycle."

They were all silent. Link started for Doc's room again.

"Stop, stop," Zelda said, grabbing his arm. "Let's not wake him, okay?" Zelda smiled and took his left hand in both of her own, holding it up to kiss it. "Just calm down. We can ask him when he gets up."

_You won't be here. _

Link stiffened, eyes wide, and at the same time, Zelda saw the hand she held in hers glow. She turned; Kylia and Tatl were looking at the frogs, now, and they hadn't noticed.

"What?" she whispered to Link, who held up one hand. He glanced at her, and she felt his grip on her hand grow just a little tighter. He closed his eyes. He felt crazy, but...he had to reply.

"Why not?" he whispered.

Zelda saw his hand glow and knew the voice was replying.

_You're needed elsewhere. _

"Where?"

_A place called _ _Great_ _Bay__. The Zoras live there. _

The words escaped his lips before he could stop them. "My friends all think I'm insane."

_But I know you're not, and you know you're not. Have I yet led you wrong? _

Link did not answer.

_Link...please trust me. _

"I trust you."

_Then go to _ _Great_ _Bay__. As soon as possible. _

"And do what?"

_You'll know when you get there. _

"How?"

_Don't worry. I'll show you the way. _

Link's eyes opened, and he quietly led Zelda outside. He repeated the conversation he'd just had. "But I don't know what to tell Kylia and Tatl. I don't want them to think I'm crazy."

"They won't. We all saw her, after all."

"I didn't."

"What? Yes you did, when we fought Goht—"

"I heard her." Link had a strange look on his face, and was staring off into space. "But I couldn't really see her from where I was. And then—when we were digging through that rubble for Kylia—I didn't really look at her—what if—?"

"It doesn't matter." Zelda smiled at him. "You're not crazy."

Link smiled back, eyes focusing on her. "We hope."

They walked back in, and while Link scribbled a note to Doc, Zelda explained to Kylia and Tatl what they were doing. To her surprise, Tatl didn't make any wisecracks.

"Okay, cool," she said. "I love Great Bay. If voice-lady wants us to go, I'll go. I want to figure out what she's up to anyway."

Link's eyebrows rose, but he wasn't about to complain. "All right. I left Doc a note. Let's go." Link left the note on the table. He didn't care if anyone read it. Then he left, taking his friends with him.

x-x-x

Ten minutes later, Doc woke up.

The first note he discovered was Sheik's. He growled in frustration. "He'll never find him if he doesn't stay put."

The second note he discovered was Link's. He shook his head. They had missed each other by an hour, at the most.

Well, nothing for it but to wait. He was content here with the frogs and the boys—that was plenty of excitement for him. Link and Navi would find each other eventually. But as he remembered the anxious white fairy, and Link's voice colored with sadness as he spoke of his old home and friends, he couldn't help but to hope it was soon.

x-x-x

She walked slowly, savoring the smell of salt in the air and the soothing sounds of the ocean in her ears. She really loved this beach—from the first time she'd been here, she'd been enchanted by its beauty, even though she had seen it for the first time after it had been marred by the skull kid.

She thought as she walked about what Link would need from her, what she could provide for him to make this part of his quest a little easier. She decided not to overdo it, but to leave a trail for him to follow that wouldn't be too hard to figure out. She found a stick and drew an arrow in the sand, pointing towards the fisherman's hut. He was the solitary human in this section of Termina, and he had a boat, the only way to get anywhere without being a Zora. There was even a poster on the front of his shop; for fifty rupees, he would take you anywhere.

She frowned. She was more than a little broke. She gazed up at the sky for a moment, thinking of how to word her request.

"You probably get this a lot, but I could use a little money." (1)

She waited a few seconds and then dug into her once empty pocket. When she pulled her hand out, a purple rupee gleamed in the pale light from the overcast sky. She smiled, and dropped it back in her pocket. She dug in again, and pulled out an entire handful of them. Now she grinned and went inside, having been well-armed.

Time to pay for Link's boat ride.

x-x-x

Ingo was not a brave man. Nor was he very smart. After his scare from Link and his friends, he'd run as far as he could, as fast as he could. But the question in him was burning hot—how had they defeated Ganondorf? What were they doing here? So he had gone back to spy, to get his answers. Unfortunately, he had bitten off more than he could chew this time. He had watched them work their horrible magic...

And now he was trapped in the cycle, too.

The difference between him and Link was that he hated it. He would have rather been unaware.

He was riding back along Milk Road back to the Gorman Ranch—where his thieving friends lived—contemplating this, when he realized he had passed the entrance long ago. He cursed and began to turn around, but as he did, he saw something out of the corner of his eye and stopped. Upon squinting and shielding his eyes from the sun, he was able to make out a figure he recognized as Sheik walking far ahead of him.

His face darkened. This was his chance for revenge. He got out his crossbow and loaded it, then kicked his horse to speed it up. If he killed Sheik, then no one would be around to intimidate him, and he could continue with his life, living it how he wanted.

It was as if the Goddesses had handed this one to him on a silver platter.

Still, he loaded it with three arrows, not just one. Better safe than sorry.

As Ingo grew closer, he took aim with his crossbow...

x-x-x

Sheik held Ryn's hand as they walked along the winding path to Romani Ranch. Milk Road was wide, but also very long. Sheik was coming to realize the trip would take quite awhile. He carried Ryn as much as he could now, because he knew he might be too tired to do so later. If he carried her now, she'd be able to walk later instead of complaining of sore feet when he was as tired as she was.

As it was, she was having a good time. Since it was Day One, the weather was sunny. There were all sorts of flowers she had yet to see on the side of the road, and though Sheik would never let her stop for very long to pick or admire any, Navi and Tael were having fun flying ahead and picking them for her so she could look at them as she walked. She had pretty impressive bouquet in her hands as they reached what Tael told them was the halfway point—the entrance to the Gorman Ranch.

They passed by it, though the sun was now pretty high in the sky and they were all hot and ready to take a break.

"We'll just walk a little longer," Sheik promised. "Then we'll take a break."

Navi landed on Ryn's shoulder. "This one is called a daisy," she told Ryn, to keep her mind off her fatigue. "Try that! Day-zee."

"Daisy," Ryn said, smiling, understanding what Navi wanted even though she didn't understand the words. She put it behind her ear. She began to name the other flowers, too, running ahead and spinning in circles. "Lily, violet, bluebell..."

Tael landed on her other shoulder. "How do you say good job in your language, Sheik?"

Sheik told him, and he repeated it to Ryn. She beamed.

"I'm learning fast," she told Sheik excitedly, looking back at him. She saw a horse coming up on them, but didn't pay it much attention. After all, all of them couldn't ride it.

Sheik smiled at her. "Yes. You're doing very well, Ryn."

Then his eyes widened, and he let out a choked gasp. He fell to his knees and grabbed his right shoulder with both hands.

"Sheik?" Ryn cried, running over to him. She saw red blood spilling through his tightly clenched fingers. "Sheik! What happened?" She began to cry, desperate for an answer.

The man on the horse rode past them and laughed. "Hah! Not so tough now, are you?" He rose ahead and turned, readying a crossbow. Sheik gasped and grabbed at Ryn, yanking her to the ground just as another arrow sailed over his head.

"Ingo?" Navi gasped. "What in the world—?"

Ingo, still approaching them, fired two more arrows. Sheik cried out as a second one hit him in the same shoulder, a little closer to his heart. Why was this man trying to hurt them?

He pushed Ryn roughly—for in his current state, he was little prepared to do it any other way—into the shrubbery nearby. "Hide," he choked. She obeyed, whimpering and covering her eyes.

Sheik raised his hand, aiming it at Ingo. Gone was the powerful magic he had used to fight the skull kid; a few simple spells would sap most of his energy. Still, he managed to summon fire at the end of his bloodstained fingertips, and with all of the strength he had left, he flung his arm out. The fire left him and shot forward at Ingo. Ingo let out a yell; his horse reared up, but he held on tight. In a fright, Ingo's horse ran straight pat them, back from whence it came.

Ingo was gone just as quickly as he'd come. The danger had passed.

Still, Sheik was bleeding to death, and there wasn't a whole lot he could do about it.

He stared up at Navi and Tael with wide eyes.

They stared back, just as frightened as he was.

But it was Navi who had had the most experience in matters like this, and it was she who spoke first.

"Sheik—find something to rip up and use as a bandage. Wrap it around you tight. Get Tael and Ryn to help you. Then see if you can walk. Keep walking, traveling this way. It's closer to people than turning back."

"Where are you going?" Sheik choked.

Navi had lost count of the times she had had to fly with all of her speed to save a life, but this would add one to the total.

"I'm going to fly ahead for help," she said. "Don't worry," she added with a weak smile, "I'm good at it. I've had plenty of practice." But she did not know if she would get there in time. "Sheik," she said, "Thank you for everything. In case something bad happens...I promise to keep Ryn safe."

Sheik's eyes widened. "You don't think I'll make it."

"Yes, I do," Navi said. "But I've learned the hard way it's better safe than sorry."

And off she flew.

x-x-x

Romani was outside the house, running fast while shooting her arrows. She wished she could ride a horse so she could do it like Link had, but there were none small enough for her.

Romani practiced all day, and, as the sun was setting, she went to find Cremia to beg her for a ride.

"Please, Crem? If I could shoot arrows while I was riding that would be so cool! Besides, you've just got to see how good I've gotten!"

"Okay, okay," Cremia said, laughing. "Come on."

Cremia led her outside and helped her onto her own horse, then got up in front of her. "Okay, Romani," she said. "Ready?"

"Ready! Go!"

Cremia took off, and Romani let the arrows fly. All but one hit a target, and about half of the ones that hit got close to a bull's eye. Romani grinned at her results.

"I'm no Link, but that was pretty good, right?"

Cremia smiled. "That was fantastic."

They sat on the horse and rose around the ranch for awhile. It was after dark when the white ball of light appeared.

"Tatl?" Romani asked, squinting. "Hey, that's Tatl!"

"No," said Cremia, "Wrong color. Tatl's got more of a cream color to her."

The white ball of light flew so fast Romani didn't have much more time to speculate. It whacked her in the head a few moments later, apparently lacking the motor skills for direction.

"Hey! Listen!" The fairy was panting heavily. "You have to help my friend! He got shot and he's dying! Please!"

"Where is he?" Cremia asked, alarmed.

"Right here," a voice from behind them croaked.

"Zelda?" Romani asked, stunned. Navi shot her an alarmed look, but then she had to look back at the person standing before them.

Sheik was holding up Ryn, the arrows still in his body, and he looked pale and weak. Tael flew beside him, frantic.

"I-I tried to get him to listen, Navi, but he wanted Ryn to be safe! He—he—he ran all the way here!"

Navi was stunned. "You ran all that way injured?"

"Yes," Sheik said. Then he passed out.

x-x-x

Link's day was a little more eventful, but a little less life-threatening, than Sheik's.

In order to get them to Great Bay faster, Link first let Zelda climb on Epona with him, and rode her to the gate that connected the beach to the field. Then he went back and fetched Kylia in the same fashion. He noticed as he grew closer to his destination, the sky grew cloudier, and when he and Kylia dismounted Epona, the sky was gray with clouds. He paid it little attention. It was a nice variation. Link kissed Epona on the fuzzy place between her eyes and thanked her, then after giving her one last affectionate pat, let her wander wherever she wanted.

"I'll be back," he promised. "Wait on me."

Then he, Kylia, Zelda and Tatl hopped the fence that separated them and Great Bay.

Link looked over at Kylia as her feet hit the sand and saw a grin spread across her face. "This feels so familiar," she said. "Sand under my feet. It almost makes me homesick, but this sand is really...white. And fine."

"I hate the sand," Zelda said morosely, looking down. "Is Great Bay a desert? How do the Zoras live here?"

"Man, for having the Triforce of Wisdom you sure are dumb," Tatl said. " Great _Bay_. It's the ocean. Come on, Zelda, wake up."

They all stopped walking and stared at her blankly.

"What in the world is an ocean?" Link asked.

Tatl stared back at him, dumbfounded. "Are you serious?"

"Very serious."

Tatl sighed. "Well...uh, I don't know exactly how to explain. It's water. Lots of water."

"Ah, you mean a lake," Zelda said wisely.

"No," said Tatl, "I mean the ocean. Here, just come look."

They followed her curiously, up a small sand dune littered with seashells and scrubby plants. Zelda breathed in.

"Oh, it smells strange. What's that noise?"

Tatl heard the waves lapping against the shore and smiled. She flew ahead to the top of the sand dune. "Come on," she called. "Come look."

They reached the top, and they looked.

"Oh," was the first word that fell from Zelda's lips. Her hand covered her mouth in surprise, and she looked down upon the beach spread before her. Rock cliffs rose upwards out of fine white sand, that was covered with colorful seashells, plants, and a few trees unlike she'd ever seen, trees that Tatl called "palms". Then, abruptly, the sand turned darker, wetter. This was where the water started. Waves of it hit the shore, only to fall back a few seconds later. The water itself seemed to stretch on forever. It went as far as the eye could see and farther. No one from Hyrule had ever seen so much water, and they were instantly enchanted.

Tatl didn't seem nearly as impressed. "Ugh, what happened to it? It looks horrible!"

"Wh-what do you mean?" Zelda asked. "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever..."

"No, no, no! Maclar's ruined it! The water's murky, it used to be beautiful and clear and blue. And it's foggy further out, look at that! And all those plants...look at them, they're dried out and dying. No birds around here, either, like there usually are."

Zelda couldn't tear her eyes away. "But it's beautiful. If this is what you call ugly..."

Tatl couldn't help but to allow herself a sly grin. "Experiencing a bit of culture shock, I see. Well, it's all right. You'll adjust. I hear the Gerudo Desert is just as impressive."

Now Kylia grinned. "You might be right. Sand, as far as the eye can see. Nothing like this, though." She began to dig in her pack and pulled out their pictoboxes. "Here we are. You were going to leave them again, but I grabbed them before we left. I don't know about you, but this is something I'll want to remember."

Link and Zelda took theirs, grinning. They looked down at the beach again. Right now, it was spread out before them like a map. Thinking of his own father who had drawn maps, Link took out a picture and then studied the landscape below him. To the right was a sheer rock wall, but to their left, the beach stretched onwards. A few small huts were in a natural alcove, and several canoes were overturned next to them. Further on there was a river that ran into the ocean, with a beautiful waterfall topping it. Out in the water, there was a building with a giant hook on top of it. Further back there was a tall structure that Link couldn't identify, and several large rocks pointing up out of the ocean. To the right of them, the sheer wall ended and Link could see that there was more to see around the bend. When he ran down to look, however, he saw that the fog blocked him from looking any further.

"Aww...Tatl, what's over that way?"

"Not sure," she replied. "Can't remember. I think the pirates keep fort over there, but it might just be reefs."

"Oh." Link smiled at Zelda. "Smile for the camera."

Zelda folded her arms and tried not to smile, but she wound up smiling anyway, and that was how Link took her picture.

They spent the next few minutes on the beach wandering around taking pictures. They collected a few of the nicer shells and washed them in the seawater, and Link wrote his and Zelda's name in the sand and took a picture of the spectacle before the water washed it away. Kylia caught them kissing again, and they laughed and kicked sand at her to get revenge. The group slowly moved up the back, looking exactly like normal tourists, but it wasn't long before Link began to get antsy.

"She told me she'd show me the way," he muttered to Zelda. "But I'm not seeing any signs or anything."

"It's okay," Zelda said, taking his hand. "We're bound to find something soon. I don't think she'd send us here without a reason."

"You believe in her more than I do," Link said, eyes wide.

"Well, why not? Like she said, she hasn't led us wrong yet, and I've seen she's real."

"I haven't," Link said softly, squeezing Zelda's hand. "I don't even know who she is. It's like Johan all over again, except this time we're dealing with someone who's a lot more...well, Johan was human. This woman...she can use a lot of magic and do things normal people shouldn't be able to do."

"Which is strange, considering this world is less oriented on magic than our own," Zelda said.

"I know. If she's so magical, though, can't she send us some sign? Some hint, some clue?" He looked up at the sky. "C'mon, lady, throw me a bone here! I'm clueless."

Link sighed and looked back down.

And saw an arrow drawn in the sand.

"Whoa."

It was nearly three feet long and impossible to miss. Link glanced behind him to see Kylia and Tatl fooling around with the pictobox. They hadn't drawn it. He had seen no one else on the beach. No one was up ahead of them.

"There's your sign," Zelda said softly, impressed.

"That is a little weird."

"That's more than a little weird."

"Hey, what are you looking at?" Kylia called, jogging to catch up to them. Tatl was close behind her. "Oh," Kylia said. "Wow. Did you draw that?"

"No." Link shook his head. "I think...I think _she_ did."

Kylia's eyebrows rose. "How do you know? There are houses over there where it's pointing."

"Yeah," Tatl chimed in. "Anyone could have drawn it."

"Maybe," Link said. "But I still want to go over there and look, okay?"

"If you insist," Kylia said, shrugging. "Can't hurt anything."

"Don't see why you want to follow a dumb arrow," Tatl mumbled.

"Well," Link said, rubbing the back of his neck, "I just want to check. I mean, it's better safe than sorry, right?"

** AN: Hope you liked it! Please reveiw, and I'll post the next one soon!**

**(1) Can you guess who she's talking to?**_  
_


	33. Chapter ThirtyTwo: Don't Call My Bluff

**Author's Notes: Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter! Also thank you to everyone who read and didn't review. Even though you didn't leave a comment, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please review this time, though, especially if this story was good enough for an alert or favorite! It doesn't take long and it makes me really happy.**

**This chapter gets things moving a little more into the storyline, but it's still a little slow coming. There is one nice long action scene, though. It was hard but fun to write. Please tell me what you thought of it! I am unsure about how good I am at writing action scenes and I'd love constructive feedback to become better! **

**Be warned; a little more violence than usual in this chapter, so take care if you're squeamish. **

**- Love Liz**

**PS - Remember the YouTube trick I mentioned last chapter? I flubbed up. It was THIS chapter you were supposed to try it on. Sorry sorry! -flail- **

Chapter Thirty-Two: Don't Call My Bluff

Link was right about the arrow.

This was not evident as soon as they walked in the shop. Link saw that the man offered boat rides for money, and he immediately began worrying that the arrow was an advertising gimmick. Apparently Tatl thought the same thing, because she immediately muttered that the price was way too high.

But their attitudes changed when the shop's owner saw them. Before he even really turned all the way around from patching his net, he was rushing to greet them.

"Oh! You must be Link! And..." He eyed the group. "Zelda, Kylia, and Tatl. Well, welcome! The boat is ready, I wasn't sure when you'd get here, but—"

"Whoa, slow down," Link said, eyes wide. "Who are you? How did you know us?"

"Ah, I'm sorry." Here the man bowed. "I am Reshif (1) the fisherman. I live off of what I catch from the sea, and, when the catch doesn't come, I offer boat rides. I was told to expect you, and your ride has already been _well_ paid for, so whenever you want, you can get going."

"Who paid for it?" Kylia asked curiously.

Reshif grinned. "She told me you would ask, and she told me not to tell."

"I'll pay you," Link offered hopefully. Reshif shook his head.

"Trust me, whatever you can offer, she offered more. She told me you'd be wanting to go to see the Zoras in concert, eh?"

"Whoa," Tatl said. "She paid for us to see the Indigo-Gos?"

"The who?" Kylia asked.

"Only the most popular band in Termina!" Tatl said. "They're Zoras, and every year they come to Clock Town to perform for free. But normally it costs a lot to get into one of their concerts! Wow, you're really going to let us ride there on your boat?"

"Certainly," Reshif said, bowing again. "It'll only take me a minute to drag the oars out. Don't need them of course, the witch from the swamp magicked my boats to run on their own (2), but you'd better have them just in case." He went into the back of the shop and called out, "The boat is docked outside, if you want to go ahead and get in."

Link and Zelda exchanged amazed glances. Reshif came back out and handed them the oars.

"Aren't you coming?" Link asked.

"Oh, no. I'm afraid I have to patch this net before the fish start coming back in. But don't you worry—the boat knows the way!"

"Well, thank you," Link said, still a little surprised by the fast turn of events. "Oh, before I go, sir—did you draw that arrow, outside, in the sand...?"

Reshif blinked. "No. I haven't left the house all day. Why?"

"No reason," Link said. "No reason at all."

He thanked Reshif again and took Zelda's hand, pulling her outdoors. They both started talking at once, excited.

"I knew she did it, and she even paid for us—"

"Gosh, Link, it's like she's giving us a trail of bread crumbs to follow—"

Kylia laughed at them. "You're acting like a pair of children. It's not that remarkable. Why would she have asked us to come if she wasn't going to leave us clues?"

x-x-x

Ten minutes later found them in the boat speeding off towards places unknown. Tatl was too excited over seeing her favorite group perform than she was about the mysterious woman. But Link, Zelda, and Kylia had some catching up to do.

"...anyway, I didn't tell you that my sage magic didn't work because I didn't want you to worry," Kylia told her friends, looking down. "But it kind of worries me too. I forgot that I can't just leave Hyrule whenever I feel like it. I mean, They're short one sage right now, and unless I die—which I'm not planning on doing, by the way—the power isn't going to be transferred."

"Well, there's really nothing we can do about it now, I suppose," Zelda said, worry coloring her voice.

"What about you two?" Kylia asked suddenly. "What happened when we blasted that rock to get to the ranch?"

Zelda and Link impulsively sought each other's hands for comfort.

"Well," Zelda said, "I keep...I don't know...when the rocks fell, I thought of Ganon's Tower. And when I do...this glows." She raised her free hand, and Kylia saw the triangle mark there in her mind's eye.

"A flashback," Link supplied. "We've both been having them."

"Well," said Kylia slowly, thinking, "I think that's normal enough. You've both been through an awful lot, and I wouldn't be surprised if it cropped back up once in awhile."

"But our Triforce pieces glow," Link said. "That's got to mean something. They're trying to tell us something, we just don't know what yet."

"Why do rocks falling remind you of Ganon's Tower?" Tatl asked, having listened in.

Link blinked. "Because when it fell to pieces, it nearly fell on top of us."

"Oh, wow. You never told me about that. You got as far as getting back into the Inn and you quit..."

Zelda shot Link a puzzled look and he grinned.

"I was storytelling," he explained. "Okay, well, we have some time before we get there. What part did I leave off at?"

"That really rude cloaked guy searching your things."

"Oh yeah." Link's face lit up at the memory. He missed Johan terribly. "Well, he saw the map my dad made and knew it was really me, so..."

Link's storytelling seemed to make the boat ride pass by faster. He and Zelda often argued about the details, but the facts they more or less agreed on. It was interesting to Kylia, too, who knew these parts of the story, but had never heard about them in such detail.

"...well, Ingo, he ran out of there like a shot. The cloaked man told me later that he caught him on the way out and scared the shit out of him."

"But who _is_ the cloaked man?" Tatl wailed. "Tell me, tell me, it isn't fair!"

Link grinned at her. "No way. We had to wait months to find out, you can wait a few—oh, hey, we're here!" Link said, as the boat bumped into the dock of their destination. He looked around. It was a gigantic—Link could not see the other side—stone oval-shaped rock, with a larger, more vertical rock coming up out of it. The larger rock was a tower with many windows and a door, and jutting out from it was the wooden pier by which the boat was now docked. The oval rock was filled with water, so it was basically just a circle in the sea. A doorway for humans had been carved out above the circle filled with water, and Link, Zelda, and Kylia all went through.

Zora's Hall in Termina was just as beautiful as Zora's Domain in Hyrule. There was more plant life, more sand and greenery, but the water was still there. In the center of the hall was a large clamshell where Link assumed the band played on, and the room around it, circular, was the large, fat tower. There were six or seven floors, with several rooms on each floor. Link saw humans and Zoras alike, guests and natives wandering the place, but he didn't see any band.

When he mentioned this to Tatl, she shrugged. "Maybe they're just not ready yet."

She didn't know it then, but she had hit the nail right on the head.

x-x-x

The Indigo-Gos were in trouble. With two band members short—one being their vocalist—and a concert coming in a mere hour, they were at a loss about what to do with themselves. They were all having a meeting in the room Tijo and Mikau shared, but they weren't getting much decided.

"If Toto were here," Evan complained sullenly, "he'd just tell us to call if off." Evan, the darker of the Zoras physically and mentally, was their songwriter and pianist. "There's no way we can play any of our songs without Lulu and Mikau."

"Sure we can," Tijo said optimistically. "We've got one guitarist, drums, and the keyboard." He was the band's drummer, and the complete opposite of Evan. He was rarely ever upset by bad events, and was dead set on doing something for the crowd that night.

"I play bass," Japas said. "That's different." Japas, on the other hand, was a happy medium. Or perhaps an apathetic medium. Not only did he rarely get wound up, he rarely got excited, either. He was mellow and laid back, and didn't really care if they performed or not—he just wanted them to make a decision.

"Still," Tijo said, "it's something."

"It's nothing," Evan snapped. "Mikau is the melody and Lulu is the words. We can't do it without them."

"We can give them something," Tijo argued. "Some of them came an awfully long way to see us play."

"Well, too bad."

"Evan—"

"Mikau is _missing_!" Evan burst out, standing up. "He could be anywhere! He could be dead! How can you expect me to play when Mikau could be dead, Tijo? How the hell can you even think about playing if he's dead?"

Silence.

Tijo started to speak. "Evan..."

"Forget it." Evan stood and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Japas buried his face in his hands. "He's right, man. Mikau could be skewered like a fish right about now. You know those pirates."

"Japas! We can't think that way. Mikau will be fine..."

"Naw, man." The normally apathetic Japas had started to cry, and his shoulders were shaking. "Shoulda gone with him. He had his pride, wanted to go alone, but I shoulda gone with him anyway. He's gonna die, Tijo, and it's all gonna be on me. How the hell am I gonna be able to look at Lulu's face, man?"

"Hey, Japas, it's okay. Mikau will be fine." Tijo put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "He wouldn't want us to stop playing."

"Yeah, man. I know." Japas sighed and wiped his eyes. "Okay, let's play. Just you and me, man. If Evan wants to, he can join us, but I'm playin' some music. Mikau would want us to keep the music alive."

Tijo smiled.

"I know."

x-x-x

Link, Zelda, Kylia, and Tatl spent their time until the concert, which was to be held at one in the afternoon, acting as tourists. They bought lunch at a concession stand, tried to rent a room, and were told the place was packed. It wasn't until they began to explore that the problem came up.

People were avoiding Kylia. She didn't really notice it at first, but people went out of their way so they wouldn't have to cross paths with her. Mostly it was the Zoras that did it, but a few humans were ugly to her, too. Once she did notice, she became extremely depressed and wanted to go somewhere where it wasn't crowded, but Link and Zelda firmly told her she should stay with them.

"You're not a pirate," Link told her. "So don't worry."

"They _think_ I'm a pirate."

"So? Give 'em the finger, like that guy on Milk Road..."

"I don't _want_ to."

Finally they agreed to go outdoors for awhile. As they were walking towards the back exit, someone finally did bump into them—a brown Zora. Link had never seen one before, and caught himself staring. The Zora gave them all, especially Kylia, a glare, before walking into one of the first floor rooms and slamming the door shut.

Link wouldn't let Kylia sulk about it. He dragged her outside.

The first thing he noticed when they got outside was how dark it had gotten. Though it was still fairly early in the afternoon, the clouds had built up and turned the sky a sickly gray-brown color. The wind was whipping like there was a storm approaching, but there was no thunder or rain. The second thing they noticed was that on the little spit of green land they stood on there was another occupant, a female Zora, staring out at the water.

"Hello," Zelda said politely.

The Zora looked over at them, eyes blank, and turned her face back to the water.

Tatl gasped. "That's Lulu! Of the Indigo-Gos! Wow, we're so lucky, I've always wanted to...meet you..."

Lulu didn't respond.

"Are you okay?" Link asked. Lulu kept staring at the water.

"She looks so sad," Tatl said. "I wonder what happened..."

Just then, another Zora came out beside them. He glanced at them, glanced at Kylia a second time, then walked over to Lulu.

"It's Japas!" Tatl whispered. The Zora glanced over at them again, but he didn't say anything, just gently touched Lulu's elbow.

"Lulu, they brought lunch to us. Do you want something to eat?"

No response.

"Mikau wouldn't want you to starve, Lu."

Still, nothing.

"Please?"

Finally Lulu looked at him, but her face was wet with tears. She choked back a sob, then fled inside. Japas glanced at Link again, and then ran after her.

"Oh, wow," Tatl said, worry coloring her voice. "That's really not good. I wonder what's going on."

"I don't know," Link said, frowning. "Maybe they'll tell us when they go up to perform."

"She looked so sad," Kylia said. "I wonder what in the world happened to make her like that."

"Something about a Mikau," Zelda said.

"That's their guitarist," Tatl informed them. "Oh, man, my world would be over if the band was breaking up! They can't do this to me!"

"What are you, their groupie?" Link asked. (3)

"Are you kidding me? If I am, everyone in Termina is. They can't break up. Maybe this is what your woman wanted us to fix."

"You think?" Link said. "Well, she's out of luck. I don't even know what the problem is, much less how to fix it."

x-x-x

Tijo and Japas set up stage as if all five band members were there. Lulu's microphone was at the front, and Evan's keyboard was at the back to the right, where it usually sat. Mikau had taken his guitar with him, so his place stayed ominously empty.

The crowd gathered. Tijo noticed with some unease a pirate girl with a braid had come to watch them, too, but she was in the back, so he tried to pretend she wasn't there. Once he and Japas got on stage, Japas held up both arms to quiet the crowd, and Tijo spoke.

"Okay, guys...as you might have heard, we're having some difficulties today. Three of our number couldn't be here today, so it's just me and Japas." The crowd groaned, but Tijo held up his hands. "Hold on, hold on. We'll still play you what we can, because we know you've been wanting to see us. We're sorry we can't give you a better show today, but we just can't. Can we ask all of you to fill in the words for us?"

Now the crowd cheered. They knew all of the words to all the songs, too. As Japas and Tijo struck up their first tune, the crowd filled in the blanks without missing a beat.

The melody was mostly absent, for neither Evan or Mikau were playing, but the words did the trick. The concert would actually be remembered later as one of the finest, for the spirit of the band was not broken even though its members were separated.

They began their next song, and when they did, they heard the piano play along with them. Tijo was so surprised he nearly missed a beat on his drums, but when he turned and saw Evan on his piano, he grinned and turned back to music. The crowd sang for them, and Evan and Japas played the melody while Tijo kept the beat.

It was a concert to remember.

It wasn't until several songs in that Tijo realized the only component missing was their guitarist.

Mikau.

x-x-x

As Tatl sang the words to all of her favorite songs, Link, Zelda, and Kylia talked among themselves near the back of the audience. There was an emotion running through the people here that none of them understood.

"Something happened to their vocalist and their guitarist, obviously," Zelda said, gazing up at the stage. "That's why everyone is so..."

"...weepy," Link finished for her.

"Well, yes, for a lack of a more polite term. But I don't get it. Did they die?"

"No way," Tatl said, stopping her singing for a moment. "We'd already know it if they died. They're missing, or something. I know Lulu's not dead. But she's pretty sad about _something_. I don't see Mikau up there anywhere. Maybe that has something to do with it."

"Well, I don't understand what we're supposed to be doing here," Link said, frustrated. "What about you guys?"

"No clue," Zelda said.

"Don't look at me," Kylia added.

"It's _so_ obvious. We've got to put the band back together," Tatl said.

Link cocked an eyebrow at her. "I'm trying to save two different worlds right now and you think she dragged me out here to put back together some _rock_ group?"

"Yes." Tatl nodded emphatically.

"That isn't important in the grand scheme of things, though."

"_Yes it is._"

"Sure," Link told her. "Well, I've had about enough of this. I'm going back to the boat. Anyone else want to come?"

"Aw, but Link!" Tatl cried. "The concert's still going on."

"You can fly out when it's done, then," Link said. "I need some air. I'll wait outside, all right?" (4)

Link left them and walked outside to where the docks were. He could still hear the music from where he was, but it was quiet, muted, and he could also hear the waves over it. He sighed and sat on the dock, not getting into the boat. The sky was still cloudy and overcast, and the wind whipped his hair around so it got in his eyes. Annoyed, he shifted his position so that he was facing the breeze, and looked out over the sea. It was so big. Did it ever end?

"I don't need to be here," Link muttered, to the horizon. "I want to find Navi. I want to go home. I have people I need to be protecting." His storytelling, to both Romani and Tatl, had reminded of why he had come to Termina in the first place. He missed his home terribly, and was angry that he was wasting his time. "Why did you send me here?"

"Because you needed to see the problem for yourself."

Link, though he rarely ever heard the voice in his ears rather than in his head, knew instantly who was behind him; it was _her_, and hopefully she had come to help him. Link's first instincts told him to turn around, but he checked himself and stayed still, not wanting to give her a reason to go away. He stared hard at the water before replying.

"What do you need me to do here?"

There was a smile in her voice when she next spoke. "You've rescued two spirits so far, Link, and you've done incredibly well. But there are four. You'll need the help of all four to stop the moon from falling."

"I see," Link said quietly. "There's a spirit here somewhere, isn't there?"

"Yes."

"Where?" Link asked, wishing with all his might he could turn around to look at her.

"Like the other two, it is trapped inside of a monster. But where the monster is, I cannot say."

"Does that mean you don't know, or you're not telling?"

"To be honest, it's both. But I know of someone who does know. If you help him, he can help you."

"Who is it?"

"I cannot say."

"Does that mean—"

"I'm not supposed to reveal the future."

That got Link's attention. "But can you see it?" he asked.

"No. _They_ see it, and tell me."

"Who?"

"I can't tell you that, either."

Link sighed. "Okay. So what should I do next?"

"Go back to shore. I think you'll meet the person you're looking for on the way."

Link sighed again. "Okay." He was silent, and so was she, and so he spoke, not even sure if she was still there. "I'm not looking for him, you know, so much as I'm looking for Navi. If you know what the future will be...please, tell me...will I see her again?"

There was a long pause. Link stood up and turned around to see an empty space where the voice had once come from. She was gone.

_Yes. You'll see her again, and soon._

Link started as his hand glowed, and his heart began to soar at her words. Navi! He'd see Navi again soon!

"Yes!" he cheered, pumping his fist. The triangle on it was still glowing. "Yes, yes, yes!"

"What are you all excited over?"

Link turned at the sound of Zelda's voice. Happy, he rushed to her, swung her in a circle, and then set her down, kissing her lips. "She was here, Zel, and she gave me more instructions and she said I'll see Navi soon!"

"Oh, Link, I'm so glad."

"What are you doing up here?"

"They're taking a short break before they play some more," Zelda said. "Kylia's still convincing Tatl to leave. So what were the instructions she gave you?"

Link launched into his retelling of the conversation. By the time he was finished, Kylia and Tatl were out of the hall, and he had to repeat the beginning.

"So I guess we just go back to shore, find a place to stay for the night," Link said. "We're supposed to meet someone on the way."

"Seems a shame to leave," sighed Tatl, "but I guess we gotta do what we gotta do. Okay, let's go."

She flew to the edge of the boat and sat down, and Kylia jumped in after her, sitting on the seat at the back. Link held Zelda's hand and helped her in, then hopped in after her, landing hard and rocking the boat.

"Link, be careful!" Zelda yelped. The boat began to move away from the dock and Link squirmed in his seat.

"I am being careful. I'm just, I just...I can't _wait_ to see Navi again. I hope 'soon' meant _really_ soon..."

"You should stop looking for Navi and keep your eyes peeled for this person who's supposed to help us," Kylia said. "I mean, if we aren't careful, we might miss him..."

x-x-x

The _Muerte_ (5) was a well-armed ship. Few could get past its defenses and get out alive to tell the tale. The ship was armed with canon, and manned—though none of them were men, really—by the finest crew of pirates that lived in this generation. The Captain, Aveil, (6) was the leader of the Gerudo pirates, the most skilled swordswoman among them, and because the ship was out on a mission of utmost importance, she accompanied it today instead of letting her first mate take charge instead.

The ship was on a voyage home. The precious cargo aboard could not be lost, or everything they had worked for would be for nothing. Because of this, the defenses were even higher than usual on the ship. No other boat could get near it. No human or Gerudo could swim to it. It would only be allowed into the pirates' fort, and once it was there it would be too late for anyone to stop it.

Aveil knew this. She stood on the starboard side of the ship, smirking out at the water. She had all seven of the Zora eggs that would lead her to the song to call out the deity, and he in turn would give her the ultimate treasure, and she would live off of it for the rest of her life.

Aveil hated Zoras. They always got in her way, and they were always at odds with the Gerudo people simply for trying to survive. No one wanted the Gerudo anywhere, but they had to be _somewhere_, and because _somewhere_ happened to be in the ocean, the Zoras were unhappy. She supposed she probably wasn't helping her case by stealing Zora eggs, but she knew that if seven were born at once, it was the sign—especially if it was one of those in the band. She'd learned that from the day she was born. Some Zoras had magic she couldn't understand, but she'd long suspected that the Indigo-Gos, especially that girl—Lulu—were some of them. And sure enough, seven eggs proved it. When they hatched, she could learn the song they sang, and that would lead her to the biggest treasure of all time.

Unless another Zora happened to get in her way...

She heard him before she saw him. A different kind of splash on the water, one that just _wasn't_ her ship. She scanned the waves, but she couldn't see anything breaking the surface. She moved around to the other side, barking at her woman to keep their eyes peeled.

The splashing stopped. There was a long silence. Everyone looked around, shrugged, and went back to what they had been doing.

Everyone but Aveil. She frowned. Why had it stopped? Surely he wasn't aboard _her ship_—

She fell to the deck, hard, feeling a strong force take her down from behind.

"Take that, bitch."

x-x-x

Mikau swam desperately, as fast as he had ever swam in his life. He, as well as Aveil, knew the stories of the _Muerte_. Once it was inside the fort he would never get to it, and so he desperately raced against time to beat it there.

He saw it in the distance, every time he broke the surface of the water. He didn't think he could be seen, but he heard Aveil barking out orders and dived, just in case. He saw from where he was below that there were no footholds on the ship—if he wanted to get on, he'd have to do it the hard way.

Mikau thought, and then dived down to the ocean floor. Soon enough, the predators there, the bony fish that ate anything and everything that came their way, began to swarm around him. Mikau was surrounded faster than he expected, but he sent an electrical charge through the water, reducing them to piles of bones. Pleased with this, he grabbed two of the sharpest, longest ones and kicked back up towards the surface. He stopped before he could get too far up, and, still kicking to keep up with the ship, he drew his hand back, plunging one of the bones into the hull of the _Muerte_. He grinned as he felt it sink deep into the wood. Putting a few leaks in this thing wouldn't bother him a bit.

He pulled his other hand back and drove the second bone in, higher. Clinging to it and still completely underwater, he yanked the first bone out of the ship and put it back in at a higher location.

Slowly but steadily, he used his own private ladder to climb up the ship quite undetected.

The first person he noticed was the only one he recognized—Aveil. He snuck up behind her and kicked her to the ground, hard. He had to admit, that felt good.

"Take that, bitch," he growled.

But she came up a mere second later, fighting, barking orders, and pulling out her scimitars—but Mikau was too fast. He had already dived for her keys, and was already running from the guards, sorting through the key ring to find the gold one that unlocked the Captain's Quarters. It didn't take him long, but ducking around the Gerudo warriors was a lot more difficult. His head nearly separated from his body twice, but he managed to avoid their blades and get inside the room, slamming it and locking it behind him.

He began to search frantically for what he was looking for—Lulu's eggs. On an instinct, or a whim (he wasn't sure which), he dove to the floor and checked under the bed. An ordinary gray box was all that rested there, and he pulled it out, trying to ignore the banging of some large object against Aveil's door. Knowing his time was short, he yanked the lid off and nearly cried with despair and relief all at once. Here were the eggs, three beautiful pastel-blue orbs—but only those three rested in the box. He wanted to take the time to look for the other four, but he couldn't yet. He had to act fast

Mikau put the lid back on the box, and ripped a pillow off of Aveil's bed, the sounds of the pirates trying to break down the door still in his ears. He used his teeth to yank the pillowcase off, and stuffed the box into the pillowcase, which he hoped would hold everything together better and shield the eggs from harm. Praying he was doing the right thing and not killing them, Mikau then tossed the pillowcase out the window and into the open sea, planning on getting them later when his life was in less danger.

There was a scream of rage from outside, and Mikau's heart sank. Aveil had seen. That meant he was dead, which meant Lulu would never see her babies hatch, and...

_No!_ he thought fiercely. _I won't go down so easily. Lulu is counting on me..._

The Gerudo pirates broke down the door and flooded into the room. He was surrounded. Every sword was pointed his way. Mikau raised his hands, utterly defeated.

"Before you kill me," he growled, hoping to stall them or at least get information out of them, "tell me. Where are the other eggs?"

Aveil smiled cruelly at him, eyes half-lidded as she held her sword to his neck. "In hell," she hissed.

"That's a damn _lie_!" Mikau grabbed the sword at his neck with his bare hand, and winced, feeling the pain flash through his entire arm even with his light grip. It was sharp, no doubt about that.

Aveil laughed. "You wouldn't dare. You'd lose your fingers trying to pull this away."

There was a tense silence as the two regarded one another. Finally, Mikau let his fingers relax. His hand dropped.

"Good boy," Aveil said. "Now, get down on the floor where you belong so we can kill you."

Mikau didn't move. He looked up towards the sky, wishing, hoping, praying for some alternative. Then the answer came to him, and, still looking up, he smiled sadly.

"Aveil...if you had to die with fingers or live without them, what would _you_ choose?"

She was shocked at his audacity (not only had he called her by name, but he was still fighting when he was completely surrounded!), and he took his half-of-a-second opportunity to grab the sword and pull down hard. As Aveil predicted, the sword sliced right through his flesh and cut down to the bone, and he screamed even as he pushed Aveil into the group of pirates at the door. He fled past them, calling over his shoulder, "Never call the bluff of someone with nothing to lose!" and ran out to the edge of the ship, right to the bowsprit and all the way to the end, preparing to jump. He almost did it, too, but a quick look down told him he was too late. They were over the reefs, and to jump here would mean certain death.

"You're dead."

Aveil's smooth voice rang out from behind him, and he turned, the facing the wind.

"You thought you could take back what I have taken as mine?" she asked. "Foolish. When I want something," she said, advancing a step, "I _get it_."

"Still missing three eggs," Mikau rasped, his voice weak from his earlier scream. He was nursing his wounded hand, backing away until he realized he had nowhere left to go. "Someone will find them. Someone that's not you."

A grin crossed her face. "Perhaps. But it won't be you, either." Aveil drew her sword back and then rushed forward—

—and was met with a sickening squishing thud as her blade sank into Mikau's upraised foot. He cried out and took three painful steps forward, throwing a weak punch at her with his left hand. This hand also met with one of her blades, and was nearly separated from his body. But he didn't stop, couldn't stop. He raised his arms, his sharp fins acting as his own set of swords, and tried to slice her across the face. She met every attack with a black and an attack of her own. His three steps were soon reduced to nothing as she drove him back, feeble and bleeding. But she didn't push him off.

Her sword sank deep into Mikau's stomach, when he was so sure he was already dead. The pain was so great he could not scream, could not breathe, could not think. A bleeding, shaking hand came up to clutch weakly at it, and Aveil grinned at his helplessness.

"Pathetic," she spat. With both arms, she raised her sword high up, the blade cutting into Mikau's flesh as his feet rose into the air. Then, bending her wrists, she let Mikau slide backwards off the sword into the saltwater and reefs of the sea. "Die," she hissed, as he looked at her with wide eyes, one last time before he fell. "_Die._"

There was a splash, and she turned and coolly walked back to her quarters, wind blowing her hair back over her shoulder. (7)

"Damn Zora just wouldn't quit," she muttered. "I hope all of them aren't that hard to kill..." 

** AN: There we are! I hope I wrote that okay. Sorry for all the footnotes! -flail- And the violence. I figure the pirates are probably pretty violent people. Mikau's pretty brave though, eh? **

**Footnotes:  
1 - Reshif is an anagram of "fisher". Aren't I clever? xD**** (His name was almost a mirror of it - "Rehsif," but that sounds strange.)**  
**2 - Koume and Kotake, of course! I think they would have ventured out of the swamp at one time or another!  
3 - I've decided that Tatl, as a native Termanian, would make an excellent rock band groupie.  
4 - Now, now! Try the YouTube trick! -flail-  
5 - In Spanish, this means "death."  
6 - This is the name taken from the game. I've decided she's Kylia's Terminian counterpart - what Kylia could have been if she had chosen the wrong path. Oo; They're both Gerudo leaders, ne?  
7 - This fight scene was based on the one in the manga, so it wasn't entirely my idea! But the bit with Aveil walking away was actually drawn just like that in the manga. Nice imagery there!  
**


	34. Chapter ThirtyThree: The story That Nobo

**Author's Notes: -flail- Been so long since an update. I take big breaks to write on my original story. The nice thing is that after that happens, my writing improves. It's kind of cool! I'm pretty sure no one is following this story anymore, but I want to finish it for myself, at least, even if it takes a long time! I write because it brings me joy. Original stories are good to write, but they're also a lot of work. With fanfiction, I can relax and be a little easier on myself. Everything doesn't have to be perfect. That's why I love fanfiction, too. I also love Zelda - it was my first love, the first thing I wrote for. These stories will always hoild a special place in my heart, even if reading some of the paragraphs now make me wince. If anyone is still reading this, thank you! Please, if you're reading, may I trouble you for a review? It's very encouraging.**

**- Liz**

Chapter Thirty-Three: The Story That Nobody Tells

"I mean, if we aren't careful," Kylia said, "we might miss him...."

Link only rolled his eyes. "There's _no one_ out here."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Kylia murmured, eyes widening. She raised a hand to point behind Link. The entire boatful of people turned, and they were astonished to see a ship the likes of which had never graced Hyrule sailing away towards the reefs.

"I've never seen a boat that big," Zelda whispered, in awe.

"Me either," Link said.

"That's a pirate ship," Tatl moaned. "If they see us, we're dead!"

"I hope the person we're looking for isn't in _there_."

As they watched, a young Zora male, covered in blood, ran out into their view. He reached the end of the ship, took a step back, and made as if to jump, but then stepped back again after peering down at the water.

"He looks familiar," Tatl said.

No one paid her any attention. They all watched, thunderstruck, as the Zora turned to find a pirate at his back. There was a brief scuffle; the Zora was literally giving it everything he had, but he was outmatched. The pirate was stronger, faster, and uninjured. She pummeled him until he was exhausted, and when she gutted him with her sword, Zelda cried out and turned away, burying her face in Link's chest. Kylia and Tatl both gasped, horrified, and watched the young Zora slide off and plummet to the reefs below him. There was a sickening crack, and Kylia noted with disgust that the pirate simply turned her back and walked away as if it had been nothing.

It took them a few seconds to figure out how to get the boat off of auto-controls and going where they wanted it to, but once they did, they turned right back around and headed for the Zora.

"He was the one, I bet," Link said, pale. "I can just feel it. And Farore knows he needs help."

Link thought that even then, he knew what he would be asked to do next.

x-x-x

Pain.

Pain was the only thing Mikau knew, laying there in the sea with his life bleeding out of him.

His fingers on his right hand had nearly been cut off, and his left arm had a deep gash in it, near the wrist; his left hand itself had been cut into from the outside and the cut went deep into his hand, nearly severing it from his body. There was a thin cut on his neck where Aveil's sword had rested, and both feet were cut deeply from blocking her attacks. To top it off, he was sore from all the running and fighting and swimming and climbing, and all of his wounds were stinging in saltwater.

It was all he could do to lay there and breathe, so instead he thought of Lulu.

Though she had lost her voice, he could still hear her singing. He tried to comfort himself with the sound, though it was imagined, and the thought that even though he hadn't saved the eggs, he had stopped the pirates from getting them—some of them.

But it wasn't enough. He had let Lulu down. Her eggs would either die or hatch and then die, and without them, she would probably die too. The band would break up. Everything he loved would be gone because of his failure.

Two more drops of saltwater were added to sea.

He could still hear Lulu, but she wasn't singing anymore. She was calling him! He could almost see her, crying out for him....

"Mikau," a soft, female voice called. "Mikau...Mikau...Mikau!"

"Nnn?" Mikau groaned. "Lulu...m'sorry...."

"Mikau! Stop it! You can't go yet!"

"Lu...m'beat up. Can't...move."

"I'm not Lulu," the voice said, and Mikau realized that she was right. Although it was a female voice, it was not Lulu.

"Who...you?" He couldn't see anyone anymore, just the cloudy gray sky above him. "Help...."

"Oh, Mikau," the voice said sadly, "I can't help you. I wish I could."

"Tell...Lulu...."

"Ssh." Mikau's overloaded senses felt a comforting hand on his forehead. He wanted to close his eyes, but he didn't have the energy. "You can tell her yourself, one day. Though I can't help you, help _is_ on the way."

"Help...?"

"Yes."

"Who...?"

The cloaked woman, kneeling on the reefs by him, kept her hand on his forehead. "A young man named Link, and his friends. When they get here, I must leave, but ask him...to heal you. And he will."

"Heal...me...?" Mikau asked, voice growing weak.

"Yes. You'll be able to save Lulu's eggs. You just have to hang on until helps gets here. Can you do that, Mikau?"

"I'll...try." He wasn't sure she realized what she was asking of him. "But...s' hard...."

"I know. But you've been so strong already. You didn't quit before, so don't quit now. Do it for Lulu, okay?"

"For Lulu...." Mikau smiled weakly at the thought of her. If he had been more alert, he would have wondered how this woman had gotten here, or how she knew about his troubles, or who she was, or why she was helping him. But he barely had the energy to speak, and so he laid there, eyes wide open, trying to keep feeling his pain, because it was the only thing left keeping him awake.

x-x-x

Mikau wasn't sure how long he laid there, but eventually he was aware that he was once again alone. It wasn't a sudden thing to be aware of; her presence gradually left him and then he knew she was gone. He barely had time to feel scared or angry over this before he heard sound—a boat. A small one, he guessed, from the sound of the waves hitting it. He heard voices, but he wasn't sure what they were saying to him, or if they were even talking to him at all.

He remembered his instructions all at once. He had to ask this Link person to _heal_ him...if this was the Link he'd been told about.

"Hey," he called weakly.

"Oh my gosh, he's still alive," a high pitched, female voice called, from somewhere above him.

"Are you serious?" Another female voice, but not the one that had been with him earlier.

"Thank Farore." This voice was male. "Hey, what's your name?"

"Mi...Mikau...help...Link...."

There was a silence.

"How did he know your name?" The lower female voice asked.

"_The_ Mikau?" the higher one asked.

"I don't know," Link replied, possibly to both questions. "Mikau...how did you know my name?"

"She...told me...she said...you could heal me...."

There was a sharp intake of breath. "I knew it. Of course...there's nothing else we can do. Kylia, give me—"

"Hang on." A voice he had yet to hear answered the male voice back, and he heard rustling. "Here."

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Link asked him anxiously. "It's not pretty."

"And...this...is?"

Silence. Mikau closed his eyes.

"Wanna...live. Said...you'd make that...happen."

There was a long, deep, sigh, and then Link answered him back. "All right."

The last thing Mikau remembered hearing was music.

x-x-x

Link looked down at the mask in his hand. He didn't really want to put it on, even though his friends were urging him to.

"Aw, I couldn't," Link said. "He's so confused."

"You have to," Tatl said. "Do you know how many people would love to share a body with Mikau?"

"I'm not one of them. I feel like I'm the one who_ killed_ him."

"He's not really even dead," Zelda said, laying a hand on Link's arm. "You saved him. It what..._she_ wanted you to do. That was why she led us here."

"I suppose," Link said, looking down at the mask. "Well, I'll wait until we get back to shore...more room there."

It wasn't long until they got to shore, and the ride was a quiet one. They got out of the boat, stretched their legs, and then Link looked down at the mask.

"Well...here goes. Oh, wait. Zelda, will you hold my hat?" Link took it off and tossed it to her. "Thanks. Okay, _now_ here goes." He ducked his head and let his fingers come up, and his face met the mask.

With a blinding flash, it fused to his face. Link fell to his knees and cried out, but it was more from shock than from pain. Where transforming into a Deku scrub had been slightly painful, and transforming into a Goron had been more painful, transforming into a Zora barely hurt at all. He watched with wide eyes as his body morphed, and became cool, blue, and just...different, somehow. He was inside of another's skin, and he could tell.

He looked down at his hands and blinked, and a pang of confusion that was not his own shot through him. He sat back and let Mikau take control for the moment, and the Zora slowly got up and looked around.

It wasn't until he laid eyes on Kylia that the problem started.

With a scream of rage, Mikau dived for her, and they hit the ground hard. Kylia gasped and kicked out with one foot, and it caught him in the stomach.

"Kylia, stop!" cried Zelda.

"No! It's not Link, it's Mikau, and if I stop he'll kill—"

She was cut off as he dived in for another attack. Link, terrified of hurting Kylia, tried to seize control back from Mikau, but the Zora was so blinded by rage that Link couldn't hope to stop him. As Mikau and Kylia battled, memories that were not his own flashed through his mind; he suddenly knew exactly what had happened on the pirate ship, and realized that Kylia looked almost exactly like—

"Aveil! I'll kill you!" Mikau said. He rushed at her again and again, and no matter how hard Link tried to stop it, he was powerless.

The battle went on for nearly an hour before the pair of them, panting heavily, were exhausted. Link was noticing the more tired Mikau became, the harder it was for him to keep control of the body. Kylia noticed this too, by seeing her opponent move or jerk around oddly. She was able to knock Mikau to the ground one last time, and he looked up at her, deathly still, and she knew that for that moment Link was in control. She did what she had to do and rushed forward, slashing him across the chest. It wasn't a fatal blow, not even a serious one, but it gave Link enough power to raise his arms and rip the mask off. In just a moment his form had changed back to his old self, and he looked up at them wide-eyed, gasping and bleeding.

"Kylia...I'm so sorry...he thought...."

"I know." She knelt next to him, and she and Zelda helped pull off his tunic to look at the damage. The cut was long, but not deep, and Zelda was able to heal it with magic. Still, no one wanted Link to put the mask back on.

"We can't trust Mikau," Zelda said.

"He's too confused and angry," Kylia agreed. "He'll try to kill us all."

"No, no," Link said. Oddly enough, it was he who wanted to try again the most. "He was just scared. I saw...flashes of what he was thinking, and you guys, he's terrified. He doesn't know what's going on and he's afraid everything he loves is gone."

"Why?" Tatl asked.

"Not sure. I'd have to talk to him."

"But that means putting the mask back on," Zelda said in a small voice. Link gave her a weak smile and stood up, putting his tunic back on. The blood didn't look very nice, but he figured it would go away once they turned back time.

"Well, yeah. But anything worth anything is worth trying again," Link said.

"Link, he'll _kill_ me," Kylia said. "If you hadn't been in control of him I don't know if I could have beat him or not."

"So who says we have to let him kill you?" Link asked. "Chain me up before I put on the mask. If he can't move to kill anybody and there's nobody there but me, then he'll have to talk to me. Then I can explain what's going on to him...and maybe get some answers from him, too."

"That's so crazy it just might work," Tatl said.

Link grinned at her. "I know. Now we just need some chains and a good place to chain me."

"You're insane," Zelda told him.

"Maybe. But I have to try, eh?" He smiled and kissed her cheek. "Don't worry. This will work. I know it."

The four of them trekked back to the Reshif's hut. He agreed to put them up for the night, and they spread out blankets on the floor to sleep on. Reshif also reluctantly loaned them the use of his padlocks and chains he used to keep boats tied to the docks.

"I don't understand what you need these for...."

"You'd rather not know," Link told him truthfully, rubbing the back of his neck. "But I promise that we're not doing anything illegal or immoral and nobody is going to get hurt."

"All right, then, I guess that's all I can ask for...when will you be back?"

"I'm really not sure. Can you leave the back door open for us?"

"Are you crazy? A pirate might come in. I'll just give you the key. I'm trusting you with this, so don't lose it."

"I won't," Link promised. He took the key from Reshif and thanked him at least three times before Zelda and Kylia dragged him out.

"I wonder why he doesn't think I'm a pirate," Kylia wondered, as they walked up and down the beach looking for a good place to chain Link up. "Obviously I look like one."

"I think_ she_ must have told him," Tatl suggested. "He was expecting us, after all."

"Maybe you're right."

The clouds had moved away towards Clock Town, and the stars shone brightly above them as they walked. It wasn't long before they found a natural rock curve that arched over the sand like a type of door or gateway. It was thick and sturdy and had obviously been there a long time. Link stopped when he saw it, then strode purposefully towards it, laying a hand on it and pushing, just to be sure.

"This," he said. "This is perfect." He took off his hat and boots and plopped down in front of it. "Okay. You guys think I'm crazy, go ahead and lock me up," he joked.

They took a great deal of care when actually chaining him up. First he held his hands behind him and they wrapped them with rope, tying it tightly. After this, he held his tied hands above him and they chained them to the rock archway. Then, after his hands were secure, they looped the chain around him again and again, around his chest, waist, and, at his insistence, his neck.

"He won't struggle if it means he chokes to death," Link pointed out.

"You have a point," Kylia agreed reluctantly, and she looped it around his neck.

They snapped the padlocks on and stood back. Link grinned at them. "This is so uncomfortable. He will definitely have to listen to me."

"I feel horrible chaining you up," Zelda said.

"I don't," Kylia told her. "I think we're doing the right thing. This way Link can't accidentally hurt anybody."

"Okay," Link said, taking a breath, "I'm ready, so you guys go chat somewhere else. Zelda...put the mask on me and then run. Make sure I can't see you or hear you, but stay close enough so that you can hear _me_ when I call you."

"All right," Zelda sighed. "What if Mikau calls us? You know, a trick?"

"Oh, good point," Link murmured, eyes wide. "Um, if it's really me and everything's okay, I'll...call for Johan. Don't let me loose, no matter what, unless I call for Johan. Okay?"

"Gotcha. You ready?"

"As ready as I'm gonna get," Link said, bracing himself. "Put it on me and run."

Zelda made sure Kylia was out of sight, then did as Link asked. He didn't see Zelda move away from him, but when he opened his eyes, he was a Zora, and he was alone.

"Wh...where am I?" Mikau asked. "Who the hell...you're in my head. I can feel you." Mikau began to struggle, but stopped when he felt the chain around his neck. "What's going on here? Why am I chained up? I was just...fighting Aveil...."

_No, you weren't,_ Link told him, using thought because Mikau was in control of physical speech. This was so backwards. Normally he was talking aloud to some voice no one else could hear, and he was asking all the questions. This time, he had switched roles.

Mikau stilled at his voice. "I wasn't? I saw her. She...stabbed me. But I'm not hurt. Anywhere."

_That wasn't Aveil. That was my friend. Her name is Kylia, and she's not a pirate._

"Who the hell are you?" Mikau whispered. "What have you _done_ to me?"

_My name is Link. I _healed_ you, like you asked me to._

"But what does healing mean?" Mikau demanded. Link could feel his terror almost as if it were his own. "You've healed my wounds, but now...big gaps of my memory are gone. You're in my head. Do you know how _creepy_ that is?"

Link would have laughed out loud if he could have. As it was, Mikau heard his laughter anyway._ Yeah, I know. I've been right where you are right now. Well, maybe not chained up with a voice in my head both at once, but I've been in both situations...._

"It's not funny," Mikau growled. "I want to know what's going on!"

_Okay, okay, calm down,_ Link thought, trying to quiet him. _Let me start at the beginning.... _

For the second time that day, Link began storytelling. He started with Hyrule, with who he was and how he had had to save it. But Mikau was quickly confused, so he had to backtrack, and start with his parents, and continue telling Mikau about his life all the way until he got to the point where he was now. He didn't tell Mikau all the details, but it was only because he didn't need to. When he told Mikau he had a friend named Saria, her face at once popped into both of their minds, and Mikau knew instantly that she was kind and forgiving and motherly. When he told Mikau he had been to a place called the Shadow Temple, they both saw Bongo Bongo and rotting corpses. When he spoke of the Spirit Temple, Mikau all at once understood that Kylia was the last person who would do something cruel to anyone. It would have taken Link a week to tell with words what he told Mikau in a few hours. He had to admit, there was an advantage to sharing a body with someone. Eventually he stopped using words to speak and just let his memories replay for Mikau.

And just as Mikau could grasp what Link was telling him without all the words being said, Link too could feel Mikau's emotions, his reactions to the story. When Link got to the part where he fought Ganon for the final battle, where he was sure he was going to die, he could feel the Zora shiver, and feel him go weak with relief when Link replayed his memories of Navi giving him the last light arrow to take Ganon down with.

As the night grew later, Link finished up his story. He told Mikau of how he came to be in Termina, of Daeken and Darmani, and of the magic he was now using to share a body with him. When he finished, he was mentally exhausted.

"I get it," Mikau murmured. "So we're supposed to help each other...and what of me? Do I die, or live, or stay like this forever?"

_The mask man told us he could revive Daeken, so I'm sure he can revive you too. But he's got to have what he wants first._

"Hmm. Then I guess we have to work together. I have to work with a _Gerudo_." His voice sounded pained.

_Your turn,_ Link thought, steering them away from that subject. _Who are you, exactly? I know your name and that you're part of a popular band, but that's about it. What's your story?_

Mikau sighed. "Well...I play in the band, you know that much. But the reason I'm in so much trouble...is because of what the band really is."

_What?_

Mikau chuckled. "Let me start at the beginning...the stories say that a long time ago when the world was new, the Zoras were ruled by a king."

_Like in my world._

"Yeah. Anyway, this king was strong and smart and brave, but he couldn't have children. He tried, but nothing helped. So there was no one to inherit the throne, except his brother, who was also childless. But he and his brother decided together decided when they died, there would be no more throne. They decided the people would govern themselves, like everyone does these days."

_Everyone in Termina, you mean._

"Right. Anyway...the story says that when they died, they vowed to protect the seas, and their spirits lived on in new forms."

_Let me guess...one of them was one of the...the Giants we've been encountering?_

"Maybe. The Zora king became the sea itself. He said he would always keep the seas clean and the sky clear."

_And his brother?_

"His brother said he would swim the seas eternally as a moving island, and rid them of all danger."

_That sounds...odd._

"Yeah well, so does that Triforce story."

_You have a point. So what does it have to do with you?_

Mikau grinned. "I'm part of the story that nobody tells."

_Oh yeah?_

"Back when the Zora brothers were still alive, the worlds were still fighting wars. One family lost both the mother and the father, and the five orphans were taken in and raised by the king and his brother. They were taught to love and cherish music, and peace, and love. They formed the first music group, and passed their love of music onto their children on down the line...."

_So you're their descendant? _

"Well, I don't know. Might be, but I don't think I am. Sometimes the band members wouldn't have kids, and they'd pass on their position to a friend instead. Then that friend would marry somebody else in the band and they'd only have one kid, so they had to invite another friend. I'm not sure if any of us are descended from the original five or not. I think...that Lulu might be the only one."

_Why?_

"I really couldn't tell you, man. There's just something different about her. About the way she sings. We're all good, we all put our passion into our music...but Lulu _is_ her music. That's why...without her voice...she's not even herself anymore." Mikau's voice was colored with sadness. "But I'll get to that later," he said, forcing his brain back on track to get his mind off of his troubles. "The band—sometimes we keep the name for a few generations, and sometimes we change it—but our job is to keep playing music for the Zora brothers. The music...puts the Zora king's brother to sleep, and keeps the Zora king himself awake. When the music stops, the Zora king's brother wakes up and stops the evil. But the Zora king himself is powerless without it."

_But you're gone and Lulu can't sing. That means the music stopped, right?_

"Yeah. That's why the sky is cloudy, and the seas are murky. The Zora king has no power to protect it anymore. Hopefully, his brother will wake up and help us." Mikau said this with some amusement, as if he himself thought the story was a little silly. "The song to call them was supposed to be revealed when Lulu's eggs hatched—that's why she had seven—but...the pirates think they'll lead to some wish-giver or something, and they—they took them. They took our eggs."

Link felt a jolt of surprise. _They're your eggs too? Lulu is your girlfriend or something?_

"Yes," Mikau whispered. "Lulu...I love her, Link, with all my heart. I was planning on proposing to her soon, but...all this happened. I've let her down. Her music is gone...and it's my fault."

_Where are the eggs now?_

Mikau closed his eyes and Link saw the pirate ship memory play like it was his own. He saw from Mikau's eyes the gray box that had been thrown overboard.

"I don't know where the others are, but the pirates have them. They're safe for now, but the sea is so murky that the ones I threw...might die."

_We'll get them back,_ Link promised. _I'll help you if you help me. There's a spirit here. I need to rescue it and get it to lend me its power. I think it's the Zora king you talked about. We have the same goal. Can't we call a truce?_

"Of course...of course. Anything, for another chance...I would—" Mikau tensed. "Did you hear that? Something's in those trees over there."

Link hadn't, but he didn't doubt that Mikau had. _My friends,_ he groaned, inside Mikau's head._ I told them to stay away...well, I guess it's okay now. You won't hurt anyone, will you?_

"I don't guess so."

_Not even Kylia?_

Mikau sighed. "Not even her."

_All right, then. Let me take control so I can call them to get us loose._

"I...really don't know how."

_Sit back and relax. Enjoy the ride. Just...don't try to move your body or control it. Let me do it. It feels weird to be like that, at first, but you get used to it. When you talk to me, don't do it with your mouth. Do it like I'm doing. Just think._

It took Mikau awhile to relax enough to let Link take control. He wasn't keen on giving it up, and even when he tried to he subconsciously held on. When he finally did, Link called out for his friends, then remembering his stupid rule, asked for Johan.

_Johan's here?_ Mikau asked, confused.

_No,_ Link thought. _My codeword._

The footsteps grew louder, and then Zelda appeared in Link's line of view.

"Unlock us, Zel," he begged. "We've come to terms of agreement."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

Tatl flew after her. "You know, it's really weird to listen to you talk to yourself and say 'us'...."

"I'm not crazy," Link snapped.

"Yeah, that's really him," Tatl said. "Kylia wants to know if it's safe for her to come out."

"Yes," Link replied. She stepped out from the shadows, and Link felt a sick surge of anger sweep through him. He recognized it as Mikau's anger, and they both fought to let Link keep the control for moment before Link felt sure of himself. "Let us out," he repeated. "It's safe."

Zelda tossed Kylia the key, and Kylia herself unlocked the padlock holding Link to the rock. The chains fell free and so did Link, but his hands were still tied. He realized with a start he had lost feeling in them, and, wincing, held them out.

"Can someone undo this?"

"I'll get it," Kylia told him. She drew her sword—Mikau flinched mentally—and raised it high. Link looked up at her, so that Mikau would have to as well, and she brought it down hard between his wrists to cut the ropes. Link felt Mikau relax, and he smiled.

"Okay. Thanks. Aah, that's better." He rubbed his sore wrists. "Well, I'm assuming you heard everything."

"Well, yes," Zelda said, "but it was pretty one-sided."

Link took a breath and gave them a short summary of the parts they missed. After they were filled in, his friends all agreed to help. Link, still as Mikau, began to walk back to Reshif's hut with them. They were all tired. Since Zelda had the key, she unlocked the door and went in, and Tatl followed. Kylia lingered, and stopped Link from going in.

"Wait a sec." She stopped and looked him right in the eye. Link knew instinctively that she wasn't talking to him and let Mikau have the control. "Mikau, I want you to know I'm no pirate. I knew a cruel man once, and I hated him, so I try to be kind. I fought you earlier to protect myself, not because I'm your enemy." She held out her hand. "I don't want you to trust me just because I say to. That would be ridiculous. But give me a chance. Most people find I'm different than what they perceive."

Mikau studied her a moment. "All right," he agreed. He took her hand and shook it. "I'm...sorry, about before. I thought you were someone else."

Kylia let go of his hand and waved hers in the air. "No big thing." She smiled and went into the hut. Link felt the control shift again.

_See?_ he thought. _She's not so bad._

_I guess not._

_I'm gonna take the mask off now, okay? I need sleep...but the first thing tomorrow...we'll get the eggs back._

Link smiled and pulled the mask from his face. It was cool in his hands when he held it.

"And that's a promise," he murmured.

**Thank you for reading! Again, if you could review, it would mean a lot! It doesn't take long and it's very encouraging. I write for myself, and I'll write either way, but who doesn't like a little feedback? Even if you don't feel like reviewing, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'll try not to keep you waiting too lomng for the next one (but no promises). **

**- Liz  
**


	35. Chapter ThirtyFour: Short Circuits

**Hurrah for relatively quick updates and subtle bondage jokes at the start of this chapter.** **For anyone who disliked me using female pronouns for Sheik in my first story, here's the reason why. I knew, eventually, that there might be a male Sheik, though not why or when or where. This is my way to let you know which one is which! Also, I know the scientist isn't the creepy old guy. But I don't like him much. he's creepy! We might be seeing more of this guy, though. Depends.  
**

**PS - Thanks guys for all the reviews. I'm not allowed to respond to the guys who don't have accounts, so I urge you guys to sign up! Even if not, your reviews are highly appreciated. It warms my heart, really!  
**

Chapter Thirty-Four: Short Circuits

The first thing that came back to Sheik was his hearing. There wasn't much to hear—the soft sound of steady breathing near him, and in the distance, the sounds of animals. He waited, patient and unsure of what had happened. Everything seemed fuzzy. It another moment, he realized he could feel things. A small, warm body curled up next to his. Ryn. She was sleeping next to him...and—

Pain. Painpainpain oh _Farore_, what was that—?

He remembered. His shoulder. That man on the horse, and he'd run here for help. Then he'd passed out. So he must have been somewhere on the farm...

Another moment, and, after getting used to the pain, he tried opening his eyes. He studied the ceiling very intently, not moving just yet. His tongue felt heavy and dry, and his mind slow and sluggish, but he whispered, "Hello?"

"Hello," came the whispered reply.

"Mm...who's there?" Sheik asked.

"Romani's here," said the voice, this time a little louder. "The little girl is next to you, and the fairies and my sister are outside. You're at Romani Ranch, we helped you after you were shot."

"My thanks," Sheik said weakly. He ginger sat himself up, and his head began to spin. He recognized the problem rather quickly, and turned his head to look at the girl. "I'm sorry, but may I have something to eat and drink? Just a little is fine."

"Oh, sure. We have enough to last us a month, so three days is no problem."

Sheik didn't have time to digest that remark before she was up and flouncing down the stairs.

x-x-x

The next day came far too soon for Link. His wrists were still sore from where he had been chained up all night, the rest of him was sore from sleeping more or less on the floor all night (oh, how spoiled he had become with his soft bed at the Inn and his comfy mattress at Doc's!), and he was craving more sleep. But when Zelda woke him and waved breakfast under his nose, he roused easily enough. It turned out that Reshif was quite the cook, and due to his large payoff from the day before, was more than willing to feed them. Kylia was already sitting at the small table in the kitchen eating while Tatl stole miniscule bites from her plate. Zelda had waved a forkful of eggs at him, and though Link missed when he tried to grab it from her with his teeth, it was enough to get him off the blankets he had slept on.

Since he had collapsed into "bed" the night before without even bothering to get undressed, he looked very much unlike his usual self. His hat was resting, crumpled up, two feet to his left. His hair was a mess, frizzy and tangled and matted up, and when he staggered up to his feet, his boot, which had slipped off a bit during the night, nearly made him trip. His wrists were chafed and bruised where the rope had cut into them, and he had one sore spot on his neck. His tunic was also still covered in dried blood. Reshif glanced over at him as he rose and his eyes widened.

"Good grief, what happened to you?"

"Er...I had a rough night."

Reshif raised his eyebrows. "So I see! Why were _you_ the one chained up?" His eyes flickered to Kylia and Zelda, as though they might have answers.

"It's...extremely complicated. You'd be happier not knowing."

"If you say so," Reshif said. "You told me no one would get hurt."

Link looked down at himself. "What, this? This is nothing. One time I nearly had my arm sawed off...one time I broke all my ribs...once I was nearly burned alive...once I nearly got gutted...you know, all that stuff...."

Reshif's eyes went wide. "Goodness. You must be so active...."

"I guess you could say that." Link decided his tunic needed cleaning. He used Reshif's bathroom to wash it out in a tub of water, getting most of the blood out, knowing it would be wiped clean when they turned the clock back anyway. He then ran a comb through his hair and came back to eat breakfast, and he was looking much better by the time he and his friends set out.

"All right," Link said, digging in Kylia's pack, "I have to find out where Mikau dropped the eggs. Then we can go get them." He pulled out the newest mask and slipped it on, and effortlessly slid into Mikau's skin.

_That was fast,_ Mikau thought.

_What?_

_I can tell it's morning. But it only feels like a few seconds since you took the mask off._

"Interesting," Link remarked aloud.

"What?" Tatl asked.

"When I take a mask on or off, the person I'm sharing with doesn't sense the time pass." Link began to walk to the beach with his friends, conversing with Mikau, and figured out the point where the boat had been when he dropped the eggs off. "Hmm. Okay,"  
Link said when they reached the water's edge. "Mikau says he can find the place again where he dropped them, but it's all underwater work, so you guys can't help us much."

Not liking this, Zelda folded her arms. Kylia chewed on her lip.

Link shrugged. "Well, you can't breathe underwater."

"I _wish_ we had the Zora cloths," Zelda muttered, referring to the cloth strips Johan had given them on their first adventure that allowed for one to breathe underwater.

"Well, we don't," Link said, shrugging again. "We have Tatl, though."

"What?" Tatl asked.

"Fairies can breathe underwater."

"They can?"

"Navi could."

"I'm not Navi."

"Well, no, but you're both fairies. C'mon, have you ever tried it?"

"No, but...."

It didn't take long to cajole Tatl into experimenting once Link had come up with a safe way to do it. The plan was to count to ten and pull her up—not long enough for her to drown if he was wrong, but long enough to check if he was right. After they decided on this, Link began to count out loud to Tatl, and she dove headfirst into the sea. When Link pulled her out of the water ten seconds later, she came up babbling excitedly.

"—_so cool_, I can't wait to tell Tael, I wish I had known that sooner, that's awesome!"

"It works?" Link asked, chuckling.

"Uh-huh."

"Good." He nodded. "Now, how fast can you fly?"

"Not sure," Tatl said, looking over her shoulder at her wings. She flexed them a couple of times. "Pretty fast, I guess. But if I'm underwater—"

"Well, when Navi was underwater with me—"

"When were you underwater?"

"—she used her wings to fly through the water like she did through the air. I don't know if she maybe kicked her feet or anything. You look like a ball of light to me."

"Hmm." Tatl thought about it. "Let me test myself. I'm gonna go under, fly out to that rock underwater, then come back."

"Which rock?"

"This one here." First she zipped to it and touched it while she was in the air. It only took a few seconds. Once she got back to Link, she dived back into the ocean and began to move towards the rock. Beating the water with her wings didn't exactly work, but she figured out a different way to do it—more like using them as propellers. She kicked her feet, too, but her trip under was much slower. She had to take several trips to the rock before she got her swimming down pat.

"All right. So I guess I'm going with you?" she asked Link.

"Yeah. You can go up and send messages between me and Kylia and Zelda."

"Oh, goody. I'm the messenger fairy."

"But what about us?" Zelda asked. "We can't go with you, even though I wish we could."

"No, but you can stay on top of me if you don't mind rowing. Who knows, you could be some help from the surface if we get in a fight." Link realized with a start Mikau was thinking about fighting, and putting the idea into his head. He was sure it would not be so simple as just swimming down and grabbing the eggs.

"Okay," Kylia agreed. "I can row easily. My arms are strong." She grinned, posing.

After they had had their laugh, Link stepped forward, into the ocean water lapping at his boots. He could feel Mikau cringing.

_What?_ Link asked.

_Shoes. You'll never be able to swim with those things on. They have to go._

Link obeyed, realizing he did not know the first thing about swimming like a Zora. He gave his boots to Zelda to put in the boat, and she held her nose, pretending to gag from the smell.

"Ha ha, very funny." Link sincerely hoped the body of a Zora was as easy and fun as the other three he'd been in so it would be worth the trouble.

_Oh, it is,_ Mikau thought, and a rush of joy that was not his own filled Link as he looked out over the sea. Swimming!

"I have to learn to be a Zora," Link told his friends. "You guys go ahead and get the boat and go...that way," he said, pointing. "I'll catch up. Tatl, you go with them, okay?"

"Okay."

"Wait," Link called, but it was Mikau who'd said it. (Uncomfortable—he didn't like having control snatched away from him like that.) "The building, over there. Meet you there in a few."

"Gotcha," Tatl replied.

Link watched her out of sight, thoughts distracted. Before he knew what was happening, his feet were moving, taking him to another place.

_Whoa, hold on,_ Link thought. _Where are we going?_

_To my favorite diving spot, _Mikau replied. _You need to experience this. The first time you swim shouldn't just be walking into the ocean. _Link could feel his excitement, and caught it himself. Mikau took them up a big rock overlooking the sea, and stood there, breathing in the air, just glad he could, even if he was only half alive now.

_Don't hold your breath, _Mikau warned. _You can't breathe in the water like you can in the air, but you _can_ breathe. It's just different. Let me take control, and show you how._

Link gladly let him do so. His control over their shared form slipped gently away, until he was just hovering inside, enjoying the ride. Mikau grinned, backed up three paces, then took a running leap off of the rock, and dove headfirst into the water.

They hit the surface hard, but there was no pain. Link felt Mikau stretch his arms out before him, and they sped through the water like an arrow would fly through the air. Mikau's feet were kicking, not apart, the way people swam, but together, waving like the tail of a fish. But it wasn't the kicking that contributed to their incredible speed—the momentum from the dive was what was carrying him forward.

Link remembered to see with his eyes, and looked below him, towards the ocean floor. It was close, perhaps four feet away from them. He could see Mikau's shadow, which gradually shrank in size as they swam into deeper waters. The ground beneath them fell away, and Link could feel water around him, cool and blue, parting before Mikau and sliding past them. Mikau breathed, taking in air from the water. Link breathed with him.

And as the floor of sea fell away beneath them, Link's heart soared with joy, and this time it was his own.

_It's like flying._

_It's better,_ Mikau replied. He swooped down, taking them lower, slipping through patches of seaweed, speeding past schools of glimmering fish, darting between coral reefs and around rocks. Sometimes he kicked up sand behind him when he got too close to the bottom. Slowly they began to turn towards the surface of the water, and Link looked up the sky, hidden by a barrier of waves, a few rays of light hitting him as they swam. Mikau was rotating, spinning through the water at a slow pace as he went. When he was again facing the bottom of the ocean floor, he began to pour on the speed. He rose towards the surface, and in one more moment, broke it.

The world was clear, beautiful—Mikau leapt out of the water and seemed to almost hang there for a moment, poised gracefully, before diving back into the magical world below.

_This, _Link thought, _is fantastic._

x-x-x

Link had to learn to swim and dive, just as gracefully as Mikau, so their next objective was teaching him to control Mikau's body. While it was basically the same while Link was on land save for a few differences in walking, underwater it was a completely different story.

Breathing, they agreed, was the most important. Link told Mikau he could only hold his breath for a minute, tops, and Mikau called him a wimp, but when Link asked Mikau how long he could hold it for Mikau said he'd never tried.

_Never had to_, he thought.

_Well, I always did._

Fortunately, it came easy to Link. Breathing was something that was second nature, so once he'd felt how it was supposed to feel, he mastered it at once. They practiced movement and swimming and how to do this or that, and when Mikau decided Link had it down pat, they moved on to combat.

"Nasty sons'a bitches down here," Mikau said aloud, after Link gave him control. He went to a deeper part of the ocean, away from the light, and Link finally started to feel the chill of the water. "They got an official name, but we just call 'em bonefish." A moment later, Link saw why: the fish were made of nothing but bones. Equipped the only razor-sharp teeth, Link didn't think they'd be able to do much damage. He was wrong, of course—as soon as that thought entered his mind, Mikau countered it with memories of stories he'd been told of Zoras meeting their end in these waters, and a memory of his own, as a child, narrowly escaping that same fate. "They're dangerous," Mikau warned. "But only to the unprepared." A lopsided grin was on his face, now. "Lucky for you I'm prepared."

Link felt the water moving around him, and he was more acutely aware of it than he ever could have been as a human. Mikau held his arms up, and spun in the water, using his sharp fins like sword, kicking his feet out (his legs were strong from swimming), and fighting off the fish with ease. He picked up their bones to use against the rest of their ranks, and when all but a few were gone, Mikau showed Link the last trick of the Zoras.

"You only use this as a last resort," Mikau cautioned. "Takes it out of ya." Link felt the tingle begin at the base of his spine and suddenly shoot out through his fingertips. The water pulsed with the electric charge, and the fish sank to the ocean floor, somewhere in the murky depths below. "I remember when I could see the floor here," Mikau said sadly. "The sea's only clear close to the shore, now, and even then, it's still kinda mucky..."

_We'll fix it_, Link promised. _Come on, I'm an old pro at this stuff._

"Yeah, I hope so," Mikau said grimly. He began heading towards the surface, body rippling as he went. "The eggs I dumped won't survive in water like this. Even if we find them, they might be dead. The hatchlings might die."

_We can't take them out of the water?_

"Nope. Dry 'em up." Mikau's head popped up above the surface of the water. "See that place over there? Scientist lives there. Studies fish." Link could feel Mikau's repulsion at this. "He's our best bet, though. Might have a tank full of seawater taken up before this mess started. Maybe if I give him a scale or something he'll let me keep the eggs there."

_Maybe_, Link agreed.

"C'mon, let's go. You take us there."

Link felt the power of control shift again, and he sped off like a rocket towards the little building. It seemed so far away, but he was there in no time, even before his friends, when they'd gotten the head start. He pulled himself up to the deck of the little observatory and climbed up the ladder. He could see the boat coming towards them from where he was and waved, once, before slipping inside.

The room was dark, with the only light coming from the fish tank that took up the entire wall. A lanky man in his forties knelt by it, peering at the water. Thin brown hair ran down past his ears, as if he had long forgotten to cut it, and thick glasses were perched on his long nose. "Still clear," he muttered, and stood up to turn. "Oh, hello. What can I do for you today? If you're here to shop, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed."

Link let Mikau have the control. He said, "No," looking at the tank of water. "I want to use that."

"Er...the tank?"

"The water outside is murky," Mikau said, defensively.

"I don't think it's big enough for a swim, though..."

"I'm not interested in swimming. I...have some eggs..."

The men blinked, pushed his glasses up his nose. "Truly? Real Zora eggs. I've never seen..."

Link could tell the man was reacting exactly how Mikau feared he would. "No studying them or any of that crap," Mikau said shortly. "I mean, you can look, but don't...mess with them."

"Of course not. I have ethics and morals too, young man."

Apparently Mikau thought differently—Link was getting some weird memories off of him, fish being released from here in weird conditions. But Mikau didn't say anything about it. "I'm not sure they're in good condition. They've been handled roughly and out in this water...I just need to make sure they hatch okay."

"And are you the father? Where is the mother?"

"I'm the father," Mikau agreed warily. "Name's Mikau. I'm surprised you don't recognize me."

The scientist squinted. "Ah, yes. Well, I don't have very good vision. You're...a celebrity, right? An actor or musician or something."

"Or something," Mikau agreed, and Link snickered inwardly at his amusement. He could tell at once that even though Mikau liked his status, it was a nice change not to be recognized. "So, we got a deal? I'll bring eggs to you, and in return, you don't mess with them or hand them over to pirates."

"P-pirates?" the scientist asked doubtfully. "I tell you, I'm not a very brave or strong man, if they come here with force..."

Mikau grimaced. "I have friends, one will stay here and guard them with you," he decided. Already he was asking Link, _Kylia? Zelda?_

_Zelda_, Link decided. _But as Sheik. Be safer here than out on the water, and she probably can't row like Kylia can._

_Can Zelda fight pirates?_

_As Sheik she can fight anybody. Tough as nails._

"I still can't be held responsible," the scientist was saying nervous. "If the pirates come here meaning to take them by force—you'll have to hold your friend to that. I can't fight."

Mikau nodded, once. "All right. I guess that's fair enough. Nice to meet you, then. But you break our agreement and I'll make the pirates look like harmless little girls, you hear? Those are my _eggs_."

"Understood," the scientist said. He bowed at the waist, then offered his hand. "My name is Haiken. Good to meet you."

"We'll see," Mikau said cautiously. "I've never had a good reason to like scientists."

"I shall do my best to amend that," Haiken said, smiling faintly. "Now where are the eggs?"

"Still out there," Mikau said, waving his hand. He walked to the door, looked out it. "Somewhere." Now he turned the knob and shouted out, "Yo, Sheik! Can you c'mere?"

"I...suppose so," came Zelda's voice. "One second."

A moment later Sheik was climbing the later, and Mikau laughed when he felt Link's heart lighten. "Haiken, this is my friend Sheik. He's a real killer. You got any pirate troubles, he'll watch your back. Sheik...this guy's gonna let us use his tanks to put my eggs in so they don't die. You can fight off some pirates if they come sniffing around, right?"

"Right," Sheik agreed, folding her arms.

Haiken had folded his, too. "This might be an odd question, young man," he asked, "but are by any chance familiar with a place called Hyrule? You look like a Shekiah, and they're native tot hat area."

"I live in Hyrule," Sheik replied, surprised.

"Ah! I did too, many years ago," Haiken said, pleased. "I came to this world nearly twenty years ago, now, and I've never been able to get back. Sometimes I still miss my wife and child," he admitted, sadly, "but I'm sure they think me dead and gone, by now."

Mikau and Link had the same thought at the same time. "We're going back, one day," he said. "I mean, not me. I live here. But they are. If all my eggs live, then—"

"Oh, no. don't offer me that." Haiken ran a hand back through his hair. "They've grown used to life without me, I just know. And I...I really love it here. It's not like Hyrule. I was a soldier, you know. It was terrible. But there's no war here, and the people govern themselves. And the ocean! I don't think I could ever see one of those, back there."

"You don't want to go _home_?"

"You're several years too late," Haiken chuckled, walking back over to his tank. "I like life here. It would be nice to visit, but this place is as good as any to me. Now...if you find me some eggs, I'll see what I can do for them. In the meantime, take some bottles of this with you. That way they can be put into clean water as soon as you find them. How many are there?"

"Seven, I hope," Mikau muttered.

"All right..." Haiken went over to a cabinet on the left wall and started pulling bottles out. "Start filling these up from the tank."

Mikau took an armful and climbed the ladder to the top of the tank, uncorking the bottles one by one and filling them to the brim with clear seawater. Link shivered when Mikau's hands touched it—it was pure, not murky, and right away he could tell the difference. Even the seawater close to the shore hadn't been like this. It had been so dirty, in comparison, and he hadn't even realized...

"Hand me the rest."

"One second." Haiken took the bottles down and passed up three empty ones. "There we go." Once the bottles were filled, he put them in a little sack that held all the bottles tightly together, with padding between them so they wouldn't break. "You can be a little rough with this," he told Mikau. "Diving or twirling, quick swimming...the bottles will be fine. When you have eggs in them, then you can start worrying."

"All right." Mikau hopped down from the top of the tank and clapped Sheik on the back. "Good luck," he told her. "Countin' on ya."

He left as quickly and as easily as he'd come in, diving right down to the water from the front door, mostly to test and see if the bottle would hold (they did). His head popped up beside Kylia's boat, which was docked next to Haiken's building. "S'all settled," he told her. "Guy's got a tank in there big enough for seven eggs, so if we find 'em all we can keep them there. Here," he added, taking off the pack of bottles and putting it up in the boat with her. "If I find one I'll bring it up to you and we'll put it in here. I can't open these underwater."

"All right," Kylia agreed mildly, impressed that he would trust her that far with his eggs. But Mikau could feel the trust Link placed in her, as a true friend, and that made it easier. "Tatl, you ready?"

"Ready," she agreed, leaving her perch of Kylia's shoulder.

"Come down with me," Mikau suggested. "I move faster, so when I find one you can go up and tell me where Kylia is. Now, the ship was over there near the reefs when I dropped them, so there's probably a snake or two down there looking for food. But I'm gonna need a light, so you just stick close to me and I promise not to let you get eaten."

"Oh, thanks," Tatl said faintly.

"North," Mikau told Kylia, and he dived down below the surface, speeding along faster than Tatl could keep up with. After he'd lost her twice, he got her to hold onto one ear as they swam along so she wouldn't get lost again. (She was privately beside herself with glee.) When Mikau found the reef he'd been looking for, he looked up at the surface above. "The _Muerte_ was right there when I fell."

"How can you tell?" asked Tatl.

"I was laying just there when you found me. The bit wasn't always the color of rust, was it? The rest is a lot brighter."

"Oh. Yuck."

"Yuck," Mikau agreed. "So a little further back and straight down..." He followed that path with his eyes and groaned. He was looking down into a deep, black bit. "Oh, man. This ain't good. They might already be eaten or..."

"Chill," Tatl said smoothly. "Go down and check for monsters. I'll tell Kylia where to row."

She started going up, away from them, and Link was left with a panicked Mikau in cold, dark murky water.

Calm down, he suggested. Panicking won't get them back any faster.

"I know. I know." Mikau took a deep breath, but as he was underwater, it didn't have quite the same effect. "Okay, you're right, man. Lessgo."

Down and down they went, and when it got too dark to see they waited on Tatl and went down a little further. Link felt extremely cold, and he could tell Tatl and Mikau did too, but they remained silent until Mikau spotted something shifting on the sea floor. He froze, grabbing Tatl in his hands to block out her light.

"What's going on?" she shouted, banging a tiny fist against Mikau's fingers.

"Shh!" he hissed, heart racing. "You're a target down here. Now shut up." He squinted in the darkness, feeling the way the currents moved past his skin, trying to find out without the aid of eyes where the beast was. He felt the water shirt behind him and turned, letting go of Tatl in his surprise. Link let out a cry—his surprise was strong enough to let itself be known even when Mikau had the control. The glowing eyes of the beast were but feet away from them, and even as Mikau charged his body for the electric bolt, Link wrestled the control away and stopped him. _Tatl_, he reminded Mikau. _The eggs._

"Damn," Mikau hissed, and he grabbed Tatl and bolted, as far away from the sea snake as he could get. "I'll never be able to kill it if I can't use anything but my fins. He's got a hide like metal."

_The eggs_, Link reminded Mikau again. _Just find them, grab them, and go. When everybody's out of the water, we can fight it._

"Right, right..." Mikau sped around the lower chambers of the snake's lair, in and out of tunnels, only able to see a few feet ahead at a time and nearly hitting solid rock wall twice. "Thank the gods for you, Tatl," he gasped, the second time this happened, and flew backwards, reversing course away from the snake, who was always close behind.

It was Kylia that saved them. The shadow of her boat was overhead, now, where it needed to be, and once Mikau had that landmark to go on he was able to follow the hypothetical path of the box of eggs, and where it had fallen. When his trembling hands finally touched the smooth cloth of a pillowcase, a cry of joy escaped him and he told Tatl to hide inside. "Make sure they're okay," he said, in a rush, stumbling over his words because of the rush of adrenaline. "Hide your light. Gotta be slower on the way up."

Mikau carefully made his way past the snake, up towards the surface of the water. His hammering heart slowed down its pace, and the water grew warmer, clearer. He was almost at the boat when he heard the snake start to follow him. Link swore aloud, again stealing Mikau's voice, but it was Mikau who had the control when they reached the surface. "Here are the eggs," he told Kylia breathlessly. "Put them in the bottles. Should be three. Whatever you do, stay out of the water. Sea snake following us."

"Sea snake?" Kylia asked, alarmed. She'd taken the pillowcase and a soaking wet Tatl from Mikau, and was now squinting out over the water. "What's a sea—"

She was cut off by a terrible cry. Once it was above the water, the snake had been blinded by the sun, and its shriek of pain and rage was effective enough in scaring both Mikau and Kylia to death, but on top of that, it leapt out of the water and dove straight towards them. Mikau vanished without explanation and dove into the water after it. He was thinking of his eggs, on that boat, but Link was also pleased to know he cared somewhat about what happened to Kylia, as well.

The tingle that had been building at the base of Mikau's spine this time was almost unbearable now. His energy had jumped up so fast it had been hard not to let it go. He did now, and the resulting shock was enough to make him wince and the snake turn after him. The tingle was still there, though, so he charged the water again, and again. The snake screeched, and tried to swallow him whole, but even as its jaws closed around Mikau, he panicked, and that gave him another surge of energy. He released shock after shock, hardly able to help it, every move the snake made towards him only fueling its own demise. In the end, it fell down towards the darkness below, and Mikau, weary beyond imagination and barely holding onto consciousness, drifted up towards the surface. His eggs were safe.

**So, he more or less blew a circuit. We'll see how that all works out. XD I'm thinking the more energy Mikau has, the harder it is to control that little feature. He doesn't keep a very cool head in tough situations, does he?**

**Please review. Reviews are love!  
**


	36. Chapter ThirtyFive: Breaking and Enterin

**Woo, next chapter! Enjoy; I'll hold my piece till the end.**

Chapter Thirty-Five: Breaking and Entering

"Link."

"Mm," came the automatic reply, from behind shut eyes.

"Link...Mikau...whichever one of you it is, wake up."

There was a pause. Mikau was in control, had been when he'd been knocked out, so Link had had to struggle to get him to the surface, keep him breathing, and attract Kylia's attention with soft calls. Mikau was unaware because his body was out cold, but Link had been hanging in the back, and though Mikau's body was still trying to recover, he had used it as best as he could. "Kylia," was the next word they spoke, though this was more of Link's will more than Mikau's. It was hard to tell.

Really, every body Link shared was different—Daeken the Deku had rarely ever taken the control, stating once that the body was really more Link's anyway. Link and Darmani had been content to share, and switched seamlessly, seeming to identify with thoughts that happened quicker than words and never really arguing about who needed to take control at any given time. Mikau and Link were constantly fighting one another, though, both feeling it was _their_ body and having the other there was a minor convenience or inconvenience depending on the situation.

At that moment they both had a fraction of the control, and it was driving Link bizarre. He didn't have enough control to do anything, but Mikau was so out of it that he couldn't be told to give up what he had, either. (Not only that, but Link didn't enjoy Mikau's nosiness. He was curious and was always inspecting Link's thoughts closely when they came by.) He was so stubborn, too. Flighty, when it came to tough situations. Had Mikau just kept a level head, they wouldn't be in this mess, and—

"Yes," came Kylia's voice, from somewhere above him. "Are you all right?"

"Fine," Link replied. He found it nearly impossible to explain his current predicament, and was going to give up bothering before he remembered Kylia had some experience with her body and mind not quite matching up. "Mikau's out of it," Link mumbled, really low. "Can barely open my eyes. He knocked himself out. How're the eggs?"

"All safe," Kylia replied. "They look a little, ah..."

"They've got gray patches," came Tatl's voice, which had been quiet until then. "I think they're supposed to be solid."

Mikau's memory of beautiful blue orbs flashed through Link's mind. "Yeah," he said, feeling a little sick. "We need to get them back to the scientist. But I can't move."

"Want me to drag you up into the boat?"

"Please," Link grumbled. "Stupid idiot. The moment of truth, and he panicked."

"Link, he plays guitar for a living," Kylia said. He could feel her hands wrap tight around his forearms. "He's not used to stuff like you and me."

"I guess. But still...I mean, the thing was right behind us, and it scared me too, but he just freaked out." He let out a pained noise when his head bumped the boat on the way up, but otherwise kept quiet. He could feel Mikau stirring. "Finally," he told his friends. "He's coming around."

_What..._ Mikau's thoughts felt hazy and incomplete.

_You're fine. Knocked yourself out._ Link sounded more sure of himself._ Can you give me the control for a little while?_

_Yeah, yeah... _

Mikau didn't hesitate. His hold on their body slipped away, and Link felt his limbs lighten. "Finally," he sighed again, and opened his eyes. To Mikau, he added, _Your eggs are fine. A little spotted. But we got 'em._

Mikau didn't answer. He still felt really fuzzy, not all the way there. Link didn't try again, but he left the mask on, not sure what would become of Mikau if he took it off now. "We should get these back to that guy," he said to Kylia and Tatl. "Maybe he can do something for them."

"Uh...you want me row us?" Kylia asked. "Not that I mind, but you're just adding weight."

"I'll swim. And take the eggs," Link added. He glanced up at the sky. "We don't have a lot of time. It's already past lunch and just one day to go..." The moon was still leering down at them. Link shivered. It was creepy. "Just...follow behind me. If I'm not there when you get there, hang tight. For now..." He collected the three bottles that Kylia had put the eggs in and looked hard at them. Sure enough, they'd lost some luster and had dull patches on them. He grabbed them tight, and Kylia used the rope from the pack Haiken had made to last them to his back.

"But where will you be?"

"Going by Mikau's place real quick, too," Link muttered. "He's completely gone. I might as well." He had to wake Mikau up, somehow. He needed his human form, too. With that, he gave Kylia one of Johan's two-finger salutes and dove into the water. He thought the cold would jerk Mikau awake, and it did, a little, but mostly he seemed unconcerned. Link made a face. If Mikau had had this body to himself, a thing like that would have left him unconscious for hours. So he still wasn't really awake.

_Link? Where are we..._

_To Lulu. _

_Lu?_ Mikau seemed to perk up a little, but not enough.

_Yeah._

_But, the eggs..._

_We're dropping them off first._

It wasn't very long before they reached Haiken's building. Link was relieved to see that no pirates had come for them yet, and that Sheik and Haiken had been doing nothing but talking about politics the entire time he was gone. Apparently there was some disagreement about monarchies versus democracies—it all went straight over his head, either way. He made sure everyone was okay and showed Haiken the eggs.

"Are they going to hatch okay?"

Haiken looked up at Link with a regretful expression. "At this point...they'll hatch. But I'm not sure how many of the hatchlings will make it. This one looks really bad, see? Gray all over."

"Can't you do anything?"

"Yes, actually." Haiken smiled, a little. "Thanks to my experiments—which I know good and well you Zoras hate—I know what these little guys need. I've got some...egg-medicine, if you want layman's terms."

"I do," Link assured him. "I won't understand anything else…" He impatiently shifted his weight. "So, now what?"

"Leave these with me. I'll do all I can for them."

"All right." Link gave Haiken the eggs, and turned to Sheik. "You doing okay here? Gonna be all right for a little while?"

"Sure, sure, I'm fine," she replied, waving a hand. "I haven't even see a hint of a pirate yet. We're good here."

"All right." Link wished he could explain to her where he was going and why, but he couldn't, not in front of Haiken. He bade her a quick goodbye and opened the door, diving straight from it down into the ocean below. (Probably one of the nicer parts about being a Zora was that he could get away with stunts like that. Even if Link did hate heights—oh, and did he ever hate heights—diving was still _fun_.)

Mikau's thoughts were still fuzzy and incomplete on the way to Zora Hall, and while Link did try his best to get Mikau up, it was no good. Link could barely get directions out of him. He felt anxious, being stuck in another's body—almost like when he had first been cursed with the Deku Mask. He knew he should have been more patient, maybe...he didn't know about how much a Zora body could take but he knew a Hylian would be lucky to be alive after frying themselves like that. But Mikau didn't have time to be unconscious and recover. Link glanced up at the moon, through the hazy level of water above him. No, time was the one thing they didn't have.

The outcropping of Zora's Hall where they had first seen Lulu was where she was now. Link could almost sense her, and realized with a start that he could sense others, too, near him, people that he'd never met. Someone called Japas—true friend, best friend. Closeness. Tijo, annoying but faithful, sometimes hilarious. Evan...Link recognized from his own memories, too, from one rude moment where he'd glared at Kylia. Evan, more annoying than Tijo, more annoying than anybody, but there was a grudging respect for him that Link couldn't ignore. Link wondered if they could feel Mikau too, now that he was nearby, and wondered too if he would feel different in this form, sharing another's body.

Mikau seemed to perk up. _Lulu?_

_She's there. _Link knew she couldn't see him, as he was still beneath the waves. _They're all in there. Don't you want to tell Lulu about the eggs we got back?_

_Yeah_, Mikau replied eagerly. Link backed off, let Mikau have the control, and they floundered for a moment, because Mikau was not totally awake yet. He caught himself quickly, Link was relieved to see, and so Link let out a silent cheer of victory.

_You brought me here to wake me up?_

_I had to, somehow. Go on up if you want to. It won't take long._

Mikau moved closer to the outcropping, putting both hands on the land above the water and pulling himself up. Lulu must have heard the splash, but she stared at the water, silent as anything. A thousand of Mikau's memories with this woman played through Link's head. Unlike Mikau, he didn't purposely pry, but the remembrance was so strong it would have doubled him over had he had any control.

On the stage, in the middle of Zora's Hall, the band's first time practicing together. Mikau had dropped his guitar the first time he met Lulu, when they were both teenagers, and she was laughing at him in front everyone.

_"Hey, what are you laughing at, girl? I'm the best guitar player you'll ever meet."_

_"Are you sure it's not your friend there? He held on to _his_ guitar, after all."_

_"What, Japas? No way..."_

The memory changed, and Lulu was in Mikau's arms, nearly asleep. They were floating, in the water, on the surface of an ocean that was too bright and beautiful to even be real. _"Mikau...maybe you were right..."_

_"I'm always right. But what about?"_

_"You and me...we could work out, the two of us..." _

_"Evan'll be jealous."_

_"Evan can go to hell..."_

Another time—this time, last year, at the Carnival of Time, and they were on the rooftops away from the crowd, watching fireworks explode up in the sky. _"So, you got an answer for me yet, Lu? Been waitin' long enough..."_

_"I don't know! Getting married is a big deal..."_

_"I'd give you everything you wanted. Don't I, already? Not that much would change..."_

_"We'd have kids, eventually."_

_"I could be a great father!" _

_"You could, huh?"_

_"Sure. How many kids you want?"_

_"Oh, I don't know...not too many..."_

Then, later—Mikau picking her up and swinging her around in a circle. _"Oh, Mikau! I don't...we haven't even gotten married yet."_

_"So? I'm gonna be a daddy! I can't believe it!"_

_"I thought you'd leave me."_

_"No way, baby. You make me so happy..."_

Then, finally, a week ago. Coming into their little room in Zora's Hall, looking for Lulu, wondering if she'd laid the eggs, and finding blood and Japas instead of her. Fear, alarm. _"Lulu? Where is she?"_

_"She ain't here, man."_

_"Japas, where—"_

_"Toto's looking at her. She got hurt. Nothin' bad, man, not on the outside. But the pirates came, right as she laid the eggs...they're gone, man...and Lulu ain't talking."_

_"Gone—?"_

_"Tried to stop them, man. I—I—geez. I'm so sorry. She ain't talking. She ain't talking, ain't singing...ain't made a sound since they got away..."_

And not even three days ago, laying in the water bleeding and dying and scared, thinking of only Lulu, hearing her voice and scared he would never hear it again. _"Lulu...?"_

With a start Link realized the last word had actually been spoken aloud. The memories were Mikau's, had always been his, and they weren't affecting him so much. He was walking towards Lulu, and before Link could remind him that there was another person in their body who had a girl of his own, Mikau reached forward and took Lulu's hands in his. She reluctantly turned her face towards him, her lips silent but her expression screaming of her loss.

"Hey, baby," Mikau said gently, squeezing her hands. "I'm okay. Just tellin' you I'm okay. Got a little banged up on that pirate ship, but I'm gonna be just fine, so don't worry..."

She didn't say anything, just looked away.

"Hey, and guess what? I'm already halfway done!" Link could feel what it cost Mikau, to tell her those half-truths. Lulu had always been his support, and now Mikau was frightened and couldn't lean on her anymore. "Yeah, I got three eggs back. Left them with some good people, sweetheart, and they're going to fix them up."

Lulu's eyes darted back up to Mikau, and she drew in a quick breath, as if she was about to speak, but at the last minute, it seemed to leave her, and she looked down again. Mikau's hand moved to her back, now, rubbing in slow circles, and Link objected, strongly. _Mikau._

Mikau ignored him, and his other hand came up to tilt Lulu's chin to him. "Hey. Don't you worry. I'll have the rest back to you soon. It's gonna be okay."

Feeling Mikau's intentions on what he was about to do, Link fought Mikau for control and jerked it away from him as much as he could. He did _not_ want to kiss Lulu. He had Zelda, and even though Mikau was the one doing this it felt all wrong, and he broadcasted that to the Zora loud and clear.

_Fine_, Mikau snapped. Out loud, he told Lulu, "I've got to go. I'll be back. Love you." He let go of her, reluctantly. Link was steering him back towards the water as hard as he could go. _All right already!_ Mikau yelled, in his head, as they dove in. He was swimming fast, venting anger. _What's the big deal? She's my—_

_Yeah? Let me go start kissing on Zelda and see how you like it._

Silence.

_Better yet, I'll kiss _Sheik_. You really want to be in my head when I'm doing that?_

_Dude, no! I don't swing that way. _

_All right then. Back off. That's how it feels when you get close to her, for me._

_You've got your own body. I... _

_There's a trick where you can get yours back, so—_

_Not until this mess is over. That's too long._

_I mean without that. When you're in the mask, you can have your body back, just for a few seconds. Daeken did it._

_How? Time doesn't even pass for me when you take that thing off. _

_I don't know. I'll ask him one day._ Link was exhausted, mentally, from the fight for control and the bickering afterwards. _I think I liked you better when you were all knocked out._

_Ha ha. You're such a joker, Link._

Link didn't respond, keeping his thoughts low and unobtrusive (it came with practice). But Mikau was being nosy, again, and was noticing the way Link noticed things like the murky water or the cloudy sky and compared them to Mikau's memory.

_Yeah. This place used to be so beautiful. _

_I can barely imagine it._

There was no more conversation until they got back to Haiken's place, and saw the shadow of Kylia's boat bobbing on the water above. Mikau's head popped out of the water next to the boat, and he laughed. "Surprise. Back already!"

"Link?" Kylia asked warily.

"Mikau," Mikau corrected. "But Link's watching. Been waiting long?"

"No. I didn't want to go in there, though. Don't want to be taken for a pirate again. Tatl's up inside."

"Guess I see the point in that. Okay, I don't feel like waiting on you and I bet your arms are tired, so I'm gonna leave the boat here for Zelda—Sheik, whoever. And I'm just gonna carry you with me into the fortress."

"Are you nuts?" Kylia yelped, and Mikau felt Link's amusement come on strong. "She's not coming with us?"

"No," Mikau said grimly. "For one thing, she'd distract Link. He'll be too worried about keeping her safe, even though from what I can tell she can take care of herself. Besides that, we've gotta leave someone here for back up. If we get in trouble, Tatl can get out and come get her, and we'll be a little better off."

"Clever," Kylia admitted grudgingly. "And Link agrees with you?"

"Link came up with it," Mikau lied freely. He could feel Link's strong disapproval, but he ignored it. "He knows we've got to leave someone here with the eggs if we can."

_I'd rather have her _with_ me, Mikau..._

_Yeah, but you're impressed too. You know I'm right. Who would you rather go into that fortress with? A Gerudo or a princess? Come on, she'll blend right in. Zelda can magic the boat. If we get in a jam, she'll get there faster._

_I still don't like it._

_You don't have to. I'm right._

Link didn't protest again, and stayed quiet as Mikau pulled himself out of the water. "I hope a desert rat doesn't mind getting wet," he told Kylia. "I hear the Gerudo from your place never see water."

"Please," she scoffed. "Takes a lot more than water to scare me."

"That's what I like to hear. Let me go get Tatl. I'll be back." Mikau climbed the ladder, nearly slipping once on the metal because he was soaked, and had to try twice to open the doorknob. Sheik was sitting on the floor by the door, and jerked when it open, but she relaxed again when she saw it wasn't an enemy.

"Hey."

"Hey. Where's Tatl?"

"In the tank practicing her swimming. Haiken left to go get us lunch."

Mikau walked over to the tank and peered in. His eggs were on the bottom, looking worse than they had in the pirate's ship but better than they had when Link recovered them. Tatl was sitting by one, watching it, and she jumped when Mikau knocked on the tank's glass. "hey!" she called, and zipped up out of the tank, shaking water off of her. "We going to the fortress, now?"

"Yeah. Zelda—Sheik...do you mind staying here for back up?"

"Are you kidding me?" Sheik asked, annoyed. "I'm bored out of my mind here."

"I know." Mikau gave her puppy eyes, tried to get Link to help him convince her, but Link stayed irritatingly quiet, hanging back and watching. "Please? Someone needs to stay with the eggs. I don't know what I'll do if we go get those four and then come back to find these three gone...they might die, and—"

"All right, all right," Sheik relented, softening. "You're right. Are you at least going to leave Tatl with me...?"

"No can do," Mikau admitted. "I'm thinkin' if we get in trouble, she can come get you."

"I'd be leaving the eggs."

"Which is why I ain't asking you unless it's serious. I can rely on you, right?"

"Yeah. Of course."

_You manipulative bastard._

_Call me what you want to. I'm not leaving these eggs unprotected. Not on your life._

"Okay. Thanks, thanks. I appreciate it," Mikau said, and there was truth in that, at least. "I'd be going crazy, too. I owe you one. C'mon, Tatl." Mikau opened the door and jumped straight down into the water, next to Kylia's boat, Tatl following him. "You ready?" Mikau asked her.

"I guess. Been practicing holding my breath, all that." Link knew Kylia well enough to know she was wary. He couldn't blame her.

"Okay." Mikau pulled himself onto the boat, and stretched. "Won't be a long ride, but you gotta hang on. Get behind me and grab my shoulders, hook your legs around my waist."

"Don't you have a girlfriend?"

"Don't flatter yourself," Mikau muttered, partially annoyed and partially disgusted. "Just because I'm cool with you don't mean I like Gerudo any—I still hate 'em. Besides, I _do_ have a girlfriend. Planning to get back to her as soon as possible. This is just the way that Zoras around here carry landwalkers. You need air, you can dig your nails in. I can keep you above the surface and keep me below. It's just easiest."

"All right," Kylia agreed. She looked through her pack, trying to decide which items could stand to get soaked and which couldn't, and she wound up leaving behind everything but her coil of rope, the four bottles for the eggs, and the Ocarina of Time, which was essential if they needed to turn back the days in a hurry. She took off her pendant and earrings, got on Mikau's back, and Tatl hung onto Kylia's braid, and when they were all secure Mikau told Kylia to take a big breath and he dived right into the water.

Kylia nearly let her breath out in a cry; the water was _cold_, to her, and despite what she said she wasn't used to being wet. She hung on tight, and before long, she felt the cold air of the late afternoon touch her skin. She took another breath, and was plunged down into the waves again.

Mikau tried to keep close to the surface, and jump out as often as possible, but twice he forgot that Kylia couldn't inhale underwater like he could and got nails digging into his shoulders. "I didn't mean that literally!" he said, the second time this happened, once they'd gone back under. "That _hurts_."

_Let me do it_, Link urged. _I'm used to people needing to breathe._

_Relax. I'm not going to drown her. I got this. I can get us there faster._

He was right; they were there pretty quickly. The big gates the _Muerte_ had gone through were shut and locked, so tight Mikau no amount of force he could generate alone would open them up. He made his way over to a few rocks jutted above the surf, and let Kylia go. "You doing okay?"

"Fine," Kylia said, panting.

"Tatl?"

"Good, I'm good." She flopped backward onto the rocks, panting too.

"All right. We need a plan, then. Hey, listen, you wanna let your hair out of that braid?"

"No," Kylia said simply.

"I'm thinking you look so much like Aveil you could trick the guards. But she wears her hair without the braid. Wears a different color, too, but nothing we can do about that. It's a status symbol, so it's not like we can just steal you some new threads."

"I guess I could take my hair down, at least," Kylia relented, seeing sense in this plan. "Tch, in my world, Red is only the second rank."

"Purple must be first," Tatl guessed.

"What? No. I just happened to be wearing this when I left. White is first."

"Aren't you the leader, in Hyrule?" Tatl asked.

"Used to be. I stepped down. But that's a story for another day." Kylia was undoing her braid, quickly and steadily, not bothering to try and fix the mess her hair had become. She left it in the ponytail, at least, but that was all. "Just how do you plan on getting in there, huh? They'll kill us if they catch us."

"You don't have to tell me that," Mikau reminded her flatly, and there was an awkward silence. "Gerudo can't swim like us, so they're going to have more trouble guarding the waterways. When you get your breath back, we'll go in through there. Maybe snag us a grunt and see if she knows anything about where they're keeping the eggs."

"That's a bad idea," Kylia said, shooting down this plan at once. "Schedules will be tight and security will be too. The minute they realize somebody's missing they're going to be after you."

"How would you know?" Mikau grumbled.

"Hey, now. I led a tribe of Gerudo, once. I have three years of experience under my belt."

"What do you recommend we do, then?"

"What color are footsoldiers, here?"

"Uh..."

"Purple," Tatl responded. "They wear what you wear."

"All right, then. Instead of pretending to be Aveil, I'll cover my face and pretend to be a nobody." Kylia smiled, raising her eyebrows. "You may not think much of the Gerudo, Mikau, but we think a lot of each other. There's a strong bond of sisterhood. A new recruit who just showed up for guard duty will be allowed to ask questions."

"Oh yeah? And what happens if you have to get into it with somebody?"

"I can take care of myself," Kylia assured Mikau, getting up. "We going in, or not?"

"We're going in." Mikau looked over at Tatl. "She can take care of herself?"

"She can," Tatl agreed.

_She can kick my ass any day of the week_, Link put in, and Mikau jumped because he'd forgotten Link was there.

So through the waterways they went, everybody hanging tightly onto each other while Mikau fought the current. Link didn't envy Mikau of having the control just then; the waters were turbulent, specifically so as to keep out swimmers, and traps triggered by movement lay in wait on the walls. It was slow going, and Link could tell that Kylia was running out of air—she was exhaling very slowly, which meant she was on the last stretch of it.

_Hurry_, Link urged Mikau, panicked.

_Chill, I got this. _"Hang on," he told Kylia. "Almost there."

Just then they reached the end of the tunnel, and Mikau burst out onto the surface. Link thought at first he was being clumsy, because he came right under a moving boat and nearly got them knocked out again. But when Kylia gasped, taking in air, Link realized that the splash of the oars covered the noise they had to make. Mikau was down again almost at once, staying low under the boat, one of at least half a dozen patrolling around the waters just inside the fortress. There were more tunnels under the fortress, traps, designed to look like weaknesses but really a good way of catching prey that drew too close. They were hard to navigate and there was almost no air. Mikau let Kylia up whenever he could, and when they found air pockets he started letting her take as long as she needed to get her breath back.

"Okay?" he kept asking, when this happened.

"Yeah," Kylia would responded breathlessly, and they'd dive back into the water again.

_You're being nice to her_, Link noted, from somewhere in the back of Mikau's head. Even though she's Gerudo.

_I'm gonna owe her one for this. And you. She's your friend, I don't want to drown her. It must really suck not to be able to breathe water._

_No kidding._

It was getting dark when they finally reached a small room in the basement of the fort. Mikau's head just barely popped out of the water, enough for him to see and Kylia to get some air. "See anybody, Tatl?"

"No," she whispered, flying in and looking around. "Nobody, nothing. Empty here."

"All right?" Mikau asked Kylia again. "Worst is over."

"Fine," Kylia lied. She felt dizzy and sick, pretty lightheaded, and wanted nothing more than to rest for a few minutes or an hour, but they didn't have the time. Feeling more like a drowned rat than a desert rat, she pulled herself up onto the floor, forcing her arms to work past sheer exhaustion. "I'm fine." She stood, and even though she was dripping wet, her back was ramrod straight.

_Sage of Spirit, all right_, Link noted fondly. _She looks ready to pass out._

_She gonna make it?_

_She's going to have to. We can't exactly leave her or take her back, now can we?_

Mikau didn't answer, just pulled himself up behind Kylia. "If I go out there, I'm dead meat," he said flatly. "But you can. Tell them a Zora dragged you into the water or something. Create a diversion. Get them all away from this room."

"We have no idea where we're going."

"You're right," Mikau agreed. "I was thinkin' we'd just wing it. Go upstairs, maybe, see if we can get a view of this place."

_That sounds like a brilliant plan._

_Shut up. _

"I guess that's all we can do," Kylia decided. She tossed her hair back, deciding like she must have looked like she got in a fight with a Zora. She was soaking wet and looked like she'd just been sucked down a drain, and besides that fact had a bruise forming on her shoulder where she'd nearly gotten caught in a trap. "All right. Tatl, stay with Link. Mikau. Whatever." She tried to get herself in the mindset of a Gerudo. Traveling with Link made her feel like a person, not someone of any particular race. But there was a time, she remembered, when she'd had an accent...

She took a deep breath and opened the door just a crack to see. It led out into a wide, open area, closely watched by several guards, who all walked in intervals that were timed so perfectly Kylia knew they'd practiced for hours.

_Wing it, huh_, she mused, silently. She waited by the door, and told Mikau when she left to shut it very fast behind her and hide underwater. The next time a guard walked by, she leapt out and dragged her inside, knocking her out with the weak points neck. "Won't be out long. Shut the door," she said shortly, and leapt outside, body of the guard still in her arms.

"Help!" she called, trying to sound as young and scared as she could. She got the attention of the guards, and drew away from their posts. Good, that was their first mistake. They wouldn't know someone was missing. "Please—a Zora, outside. Jumped in my boat and knocked her out, dragged me right under the water!"

"Oh, for the love of—"

"I thought Aveil took care of him."

"Quick! Get out there or she'll take care of _us_."

They started running, and Kylia felt a stab of guilt. They were inexperienced, and they were making the worst mistake of all to leave their posts. But the enemy was the enemy. Kylia went back inside and dumped the body of the guard on the floor, then pulled Mikau out with her and pushed a heavy crate in front of the door. "Hurry," she hissed.

They wound their away around the building, going up ladders to get to where they needed to be. Since Link was a better runner and had more practice on the land, he wrestled the control away from Mikau and sped up to catch Kylia. She didn't notice the change, and Link didn't have time to tell her between running and ignoring Mikau.

Some ten minutes later, they reached the top of the fort. Link, glancing out the window, could see the guards swarming around down below. "that was the worst plan ever," he panted, hands on his knees.

"Link?" Kylia asked. Mikau wouldn't say that about his own plan...

"Yeah. Damn! Look down there. They're onto us."

"We're screwed," said Tatl.

"No. Not yet. Let's look around." Link crept to the other end of the hall, chancing a glance down at a big room far below them. "Kylia!" Far below them was what was obviously Aveil's quarters, a big room decorated lavishly with thick carpeting and other nonessentials. In the center was a tank much like Haiken's, filled with clear seawater, white sand...and four Zora eggs.

**I feel like there's not very much action in this one, sadly. But I also feel that you get a better look at the Zora characters, especially Lulu and really Mikau. Even though the story moves a bit slow in this update, I would really appreciating you to take the time and tell me what you thought of it! I promise the next chapter will move at a faster pace. So feed the author...please?  
**


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